Health Care Decisions Act - Surrogate Decision Making - Mental Disorders

SB 550 amends Maryland's Health Care Decisions Act to allow surrogates (like family members or appointed guardians) to authorize treatment for a person's mental disorder if that person has been certified as unable to make informed health care decisions. It repeals the previous ban preventing surrogates from making such decisions, updating the priority order for who can act as a surrogate (e.g., guardians first, then spouse, adult children, or qualified friends/relatives). Qualified friends or relatives must now provide an affidavit to the physician confirming their relationship and familiarity with the patient’s wishes. This change directly affects patients certified as incapable of making their own mental health treatment decisions and their designated surrogates.