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VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING ACT 2019


TABLE OF PROVISIONS

   PART 1 -- Preliminary

           Division 1 -- Introductory provisions  

   1.      Short title
            
   2.      Commencement
            
   3.      Act binds Crown

           Division 2 -- Principles  

   4.      Principles

           Division 3 -- Interpretation  

   5.      Terms used
            
   6.      Decision-making capacity
            
   7.      Voluntary assisted dying substance
            
   8.      When request and assessment process completed

           Division 4 -- Other provisions  

   9.      Registered health practitioner may refuse to participate in voluntary assisted dying
            
   10.     Health care worker not to initiate discussion about voluntary assisted dying
            
   11.     Contravention of Act by registered health practitioner
            
   12.     Voluntary assisted dying not suicide
            
   13.     Inherent jurisdiction of Supreme Court not affected
            
   14.     Relationship with Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 and Misuse of Drugs Act 1981

   PART 2 -- Requirements for access to voluntary assisted dying  

   15.     When person can access voluntary assisted dying
            
   16.     Eligibility criteria

   PART 3 -- Requesting access to voluntary assisted dying and assessment of eligibility

           Division 1 -- Eligibility requirements for medical practitioners  

   17.     Eligibility to act as coordinating practitioner or consulting practitioner

           Division 2 -- First request  

   18.     Person may make first request to medical practitioner
            
   19.     No obligation to continue after making first request
            
   20.     Medical practitioner to accept or refuse first request
            
   21.     Medical practitioner to record first request and acceptance or refusal
            
   22.     Medical practitioner to notify Board of first request
            
   23.     Medical practitioner becomes coordinating practitioner if first request accepted

           Division 3 -- First assessment  

   24.     First assessment
            
   25.     Coordinating practitioner to have completed approved training
            
   26.     Referral for determination
            
   27.     Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria
            
   28.     Outcome of first assessment
            
   29.     Recording and notification of outcome of first assessment
            
   30.     Referral for consulting assessment if patient assessed as eligible

           Division 4 -- Consulting assessment  

   31.     Medical practitioner to accept or refuse referral for consulting assessment
            
   32.     Medical practitioner to record referral and acceptance or refusal
            
   33.     Medical practitioner to notify Board of referral
            
   34.     Medical practitioner becomes consulting practitioner if referral accepted
            
   35.     Consulting assessment
            
   36.     Consulting practitioner to have completed approved training
            
   37.     Referral for determination
            
   38.     Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria
            
   39.     Outcome of consulting assessment
            
   40.     Recording and notification of outcome of consulting assessment
            
   41.     Referral for further consulting assessment if patient assessed as ineligible

           Division 5 -- Written declaration  

   42.     Patient assessed as eligible may make written declaration
            
   43.     Witness to signing of written declaration
            
   44.     Certification of witness to signing of written declaration
            
   45.     Coordinating practitioner to record written declaration
            
   46.     Coordinating practitioner to notify Board of written declaration

           Division 6 -- Final request and final review  

   47.     Patient may make final request to coordinating practitioner
            
   48.     When final request can be made
            
   49.     Coordinating practitioner to record final request
            
   50.     Coordinating practitioner to notify Board of final request
            
   51.     Final review by coordinating practitioner on receiving final request
            
   52.     Technical error not to invalidate request and assessment process
            
   53.     No obligation for patient to continue after completion of request and assessment process

   PART 4 -- Accessing voluntary assisted dying and death

           Division 1 -- Eligibility requirements for administering practitioners  

   54.     Eligibility to act as administering practitioner

           Division 2 -- Administration of voluntary assisted dying substance  

   55.     Application of Division
            
   56.     Administration decision
            
   57.     Revocation of administration decision
            
   58.     Self-administration
            
   59.     Practitioner administration
            
   60.     Coordinating practitioner to notify Board of administration decision and prescription of substance
            
   61.     Certification by administering practitioner following administration of prescribed substance
            
   62.     Witness to administration of prescribed substance
            
   63.     Transfer of administering practitioner’s role

           Division 3 -- Contact person  

   64.     Application of Division
            
   65.     Patient to appoint contact person
            
   66.     Contact person appointment form
            
   67.     Role of contact person
            
   68.     Contact person may refuse to continue in role

           Division 4 -- Prescribing, supplying and disposing of voluntary assisted dying substance  

   69.     Information to be given before prescribing substance
            
   70.     Prescription for substance
            
   71.     Authorised supplier to authenticate prescription
            
   72.     Information to be given when supplying prescribed substance
            
   73.     Labelling requirements for prescribed substance
            
   74.     Authorised supplier to record and notify of supply
            
   75.     Disposal of prescribed substance by authorised disposer
            
   76.     Authorised disposer to record and notify of disposal
            
   77.     Disposal of prescribed substance by administering practitioner
            
   78.     Administering practitioner to record and notify of disposal

           Division 5 -- Other matters  

   79.     Authorised suppliers and authorised disposers
            
   80.     Certain directions as to supply or administration prohibited
            
   81.     Structured administration and supply arrangement not to be issued for substance
            
   82.     Notification of death

   PART 5 -- Review by Tribunal  

   83.     Terms used
            
   84.     Application for review of certain decisions by Tribunal
            
   85.     Notice of decision and right to have it reviewed
            
   86.     Consequences of review application
            
   87.     Review application taken to be withdrawn if patient dies
            
   88.     Decision of Tribunal
            
   89.     Effect of decision under s. 88(a), (c) or (e)
            
           90. Effect of decision under s. 88(b), (d) or (f)
            
           91. Coordinating practitioner may refuse to continue in role
            
   92.     Constitution and membership of Tribunal
            
   93.     Hearings of Tribunal to be held in private
            
   94.     Notice requirements
            
   95.     Coordinating practitioner to give Tribunal relevant material
            
   96.     Tribunal to give written reasons for decision
            
   97.     Published decisions or reasons to exclude personal information
            
   98.     Interim orders

   PART 6 -- Offences  

   99.     Unauthorised administration of prescribed substance
            
   100.    Inducing another person to request or access voluntary assisted dying
            
   101.    Inducing self-administration of prescribed substance
            
   102.    False or misleading information
            
   103.    Advertising Schedule 4 or 8 poison as voluntary assisted dying substance
            
   104.    Cancellation of document presented as prescription
            
   105.    Contact person to give unused or remaining substance to authorised disposer
            
   106.    Recording, use or disclosure of information
            
   107.    Publication of personal information concerning proceeding before Tribunal
            
   108.    Failure to give form to Board

   PART 7 -- Enforcement  

   109.    Application of Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 Part
            
   110.    Court to notify CEO of conviction of offence under Act
            
   111.    Who may commence proceedings for simple offence
            
   112.    Time limit for prosecution of simple offence

   PART 8 -- Protection from liability  

   113.    Protection for persons assisting access to voluntary assisted dying or present when substance administered
            
   114.    Protection for persons acting in accordance with Act
            
   115.    Protection for certain persons who do not administer lifesaving treatment

   PART 9 -- Voluntary Assisted Dying Board

           Division 1 -- Establishment  

   116.    Board established
            
   117.    Status

           Division 2 -- Functions and powers  

   118.    Functions of Board
            
   119.    Powers of Board
            
   120.    Delegation by Board

           Division 3 -- Staff and assistance  

   121.    Staff and services
            
   122.    Assistance

           Division 4 -- Accountability  

   123.    Minister may give directions
            
   124.    Minister to have access to information

           Division 5 -- Membership  

   125.    Membership of Board
            
   126.    Chairperson and deputy chairperson
            
   127.    Term of office
            
   128.    Casual vacancies
            
   129.    Extension of term of office during vacancy
            
   130.    Alternate members
            
   131.    Remuneration of members

           Division 6 -- Board meetings  

   132.    Holding meetings
            
   133.    Quorum
            
   134.    Presiding member
            
   135.    Procedure at meetings
            
   136.    Voting
            
   137.    Holding meetings remotely
            
   138.    Resolution without meeting
            
   139.    Minutes

           Division 7 -- Disclosure of interests  

   140.    Disclosure of material personal interest
            
   141.    Voting by interested member
            
   142.    Section 141 may be declared inapplicable
            
   143.    Quorum where s. 141 applies
            
   144.    Minister may declare s. 141 and 143 inapplicable

           Division 8 -- Committees  

   145.    Establishment of committees
            
   146.    Directions to committee
            
   147.    Committee to determine own procedures
            
   148.    Remuneration of committee members

           Division 9 -- Information  

   149.    Board to send information to contact person for patient
            
   150.    Request for information
            
   151.    Disclosure of information
            
   152.    Board to record and retain statistical information

           Division 10 -- Miscellaneous  

   153.    Board to notify receipt of forms
            
   154.    Execution of documents by Board
            
   155.    Annual report

   PART 10 -- Access standard  

   156.    Standard about access to voluntary assisted dying

   PART 11 -- General  

   157.    Transfer of coordinating practitioner’s role
            
   158.    Communication between patient and practitioner
            
   159.    Information about voluntary assisted dying
            
   160.    CEO may approve training
            
   161.    CEO may approve forms
            
   162.    Interpreters
            
   163.    Regulations
            
   164.     Review of Act

   PART 12 -- Consequential amendments to other Acts

           Division 1 -- Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899 amended  

   165.    Act amended
            
   166.    Schedule V amended

           Division 2 -- Coroners Act 1996 amended  

   167.    Act amended
            
   168.    Section 3A inserted
            
   3A.     Death under Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2019 not reportable death 103

           Division 3 -- Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 amended  

   169.    Act amended
            
   170.    Section 3B inserted
            
   3B.     Act does not authorise decisions about voluntary assisted dying 104

           Division 4 -- Health and Disability Services (Complaints) Act 1995 amended  

   171.    Act amended
            
   172.    Section 3 amended

           Division 5 -- Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 amended  

   173.    Act amended
            
   174.    Section 3 amended
            
   175.    Section 7 amended
            
   176.    Section 14 amended
            
   177.    Section 28 amended
            
   178.    Section 83 amended
            
   179.    Section 115 amended

           Division 6 -- Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 amended  

   180.    Act amended
            
   181.    Section 5C inserted
            
   5C.     Authorisation under Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2019 111
            
   182.    Section 5 amended
            
   183.    Section 6 amended
            
   184.    Section 7 amended
            
   185.    Section 7B amended
            
   186.    Section 27 amended
           Defined terms
           

An Act —
•         to provide for and regulate access to voluntary assisted dying; and
•         to establish the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board; and
•         to make consequential amendments to other Acts.




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