Congressman LaTurner Introduces the Simon Crosier Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jake LaTurner introduced H.R. 5656 the Simon Crosier Act, which would prohibit medical providers from adding a DNR to a minor’s medical chart without parental consent. This legislation ensures parents’ rights remain intact and that they are fully involved in the decision-making process for their children.

“Sheryl and Scott Crosier had their parental rights stripped away in the final moments of their son’s life when doctors placed a DNR on Simon’s chart without their consent. Parents, not doctors, have the right to make crucial medical decisions in their child’s life no matter how difficult or dire the situation may be,” said Congressman LaTurner. “I am proud to have led the charge for Simon's Law in the Kansas Senate, and I am just as proud to have introduced the Simon Crosier Act in Congress to prohibit this type of heartbreaking negligence from happening to any more American families.”

“I am honored and beyond excited to have this legislation introduced at the federal level,” said Sheryl Crosier, Simon’s mother. “A huge thank you to all involved for supporting this critical parental rights bill!”

Simon Crosier was born on September 7, 2010, to parents Sheryl and Scott. At three days old, he was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Simon continued to fight for his life until he passed away on December 3, 2010. Only after his passing did his parents realize that a “do-not-resuscitate” order, or DNR, had been placed in Simon’s medical chart without their consent or knowledge. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident – one study found that 14 percent of physicians in the nation have withheld or withdrawn medical care they deemed futile without informing patients’ families. Simon’s tragic death has spurred nine states to pass Simon’s Law – prohibiting DNR’s from being placed in a minor’s chart without parental consent – with bipartisan and often unanimous support, beginning with Kansas in April 2017.

Details on the Simon Crosier Act:

• Requires providers to inform at least one parent or legal guardian of a physician’s intent to institute a DNR both orally and in writing.
• Provides either parent with authority to refuse consent for a DNR.
• Allows parents a 48-hour period after notification is provided before a decision is required to consent to a DNR.
• Authorizes parents to request a transfer for their child to another hospital and requires providers to provide care until the transfer is completed.

Full text of the Simon Crosier Act can be found here.

Congressman LaTurner is proud to have received endorsements from The National Right to Life Committee, March for Life, Susan B. Anthony List, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, American Principles Project, Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network, and Kansas Family Voice for the Simon Crosier Act.

“We strongly support this legislation that would affirm parents’ rights to be informed about the care their newborn baby is receiving in the hospital, or lack thereof,” said SBA List VP of government affairs Marilyn Musgrave. “No parent should have to go through what Simon’s parents did – and discover that medical professionals entrusted to care for the precious life of their child would instead choose to snuff out that life via a DNR. Rep. LaTurner’s bill is necessary to establish safeguards for parents and their babies – and we’re glad that he’s bringing this important issue to light, as lives are on the line.”

National Right to Life commends Rep. LaTurner (R-KS) for his work on the ‘‘Simon Crosier Act.’’ “Parents may be stunned to learn that a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order can be placed in a child’s medical chart without the permission of any parent. Simon’s Law will protect children with disabilities, who are more likely to be denied medical interventions, by ensuring their parent's involvement.”

“Fathers and mothers who’ve surrendered a child suffering acute medical distress into the hands of a doctor know, perhaps uniquely, the weight of parenthood. I felt that weight when I laid my two-year-old son on an operating table for emergency surgery from which he might not rise. I left my heart on that table, but before I did I read every line, sought multiple opinions, and asked the questions he was too young to ask until I was confident we understood his prognosis, his treatment plan, and his options,” said Quena González, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Family Research Council. “No parent, under any circumstance, should ever be denied the opportunity to fight for his or her son or daughter. Hospitals and insurance companies may give up on a child, but only a parent can release a son or a daughter to the hands of God.”

“Kansans for Life is proud to have authored the original version of the Simon Crosier Act and worked hand-in-hand with then-State Senator LaTurner in 2017. Since then, similar legislation has been enacted in 9 other states” said Danielle Underwood, KFL Director of Communications. “We commend Congressman LaTurner for continuing to fight for the vulnerable, including children who are medically fragile, by introducing this important piece of legislation.”

According to the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency tasked with providing advice to Congress and the President, “physicians’ unrecognized subjective judgments about whether a patient’s life would be “worth living’ should they receive treatment and survive, is a frightening concept for many people with disabilities because studies show that many health care providers, most unknowingly, harbor biases and misperceptions about the quality of life of their patients which can impact physicians’ willingness to provide life-sustaining care.”

Original Cosponsors: Reps. Banks (R-IN), Smith (R-NJ), Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Hinson (R-IA), Mann (R-KS), Estes (R-KS), Salazar (R-FL), Moore (R-UT), Bice (R-OK), Barr (R-KY), Babin (R-TX), Cawthorn (R-NC), Lesko (R-AZ), Lamborn (R-CO), Latta (R-OH), Van Duyne (R-TX), Good (R-VA), Letlow (R-LA), Mullin (R-OK), Harris (R-MD), Jackson (R-TX), Franklin (R-FL), Kustoff (R-TN), Williams (R-TX), Duncan (R-SC), Rosendale (R-MT), Miller (R-IL)