Figure. Instructions about End-of-Life Decisions in State Guardianship Statutes.
Each state and the District of Columbia was placed into one of three groups: (1) statute contains no language about end-of-life decisions (shown in grey); (2) statute prohibits a guardian from making end-of-life decisions without court approval (shown in black); or (3) statute permits a guardian to make end-of-life decisions independently (shown in white). Exceptions to these laws are noted.
aExceptions exist in statutes in Alaska, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont.
bExceptions exist in all statutes.