Overview

• Lawmakers authorized terminal or incurable patients to decline treatments that would unnecessarily prolong life, passing the measure in the state’s 69th Legislature.
• The statute requires a written directive executed before a notary with the signer’s consent, two witnesses, and a designated representative, and the decision can be revoked at any time.
• A State Registry of Advance Directives will be created under the Chiapas Health Secretariat to receive, safeguard, and track documents, with filings to be reported within three business days.
• In defined circumstances the directive may be executed by parents, guardians, or close relatives, and individuals may include an organ-donor designation.
• Debate included criticism from PAN deputy Jovannie Maricela Ibarra Gallardo, who argued health system shortcomings should be addressed before legislating end-of-life decisions.