Section 16-36-7-28 - Advance directive; signature; witnesses; acknowledgement; counterparts; telephonic interaction; validity(a) An advance directive signed by or for a declarant under this section may accomplish or communicate one (1) or more of the following: (1) Designate one (1) or more competent adult individuals or other persons as a health care representative to make health care decisions for the declarant or receive health information on behalf of the declarant, or both.(2) State specific health care decisions by the declarant.(3) State the declarant's preferences or desires regarding the provision, continuation, termination, or refusal of life prolonging procedures, palliative care, comfort care, or assistance with activities of daily living.(4) Specifically disqualify one (1) or more named individuals from: (A) being appointed as a health care representative for the declarant;(B) acting as a proxy for the declarant under section 42 of this chapter; or(C) receiving and exercising delegated authority from the declarant's health care representative.(b) An advance directive under this section must be signed by or for the declarant using one (1) of the following methods: (1) Signed by the declarant in the presence of two (2) adult witnesses or in the presence of a notarial officer.(2) Signing of the declarant's name by another adult individual at the specific direction of the declarant, in the declarant's presence, and in the presence of the two (2) adult witnesses or a notarial officer. However, an individual who signs the declarant's name on the advance directive may not be a witness, the notarial officer, or a health care representative designated in the advance directive.(c) An advance directive signed under this section must be witnessed or acknowledged in one (1) of the following ways: (1) Signed in the declarant's presence by two (2) adult witnesses, at least one (1) of whom may not be the spouse or other relative of the declarant.(2) Signed or acknowledged by the declarant in the presence of a notarial officer, who completes and signs a notarial certificate under IC 33-42-9-12 and makes it a part of the advance directive. If the advance directive complies with either subdivision (1) or (2), but contains additional witness signatures or a notarial certificate that is not needed, the advance directive is still validly witnessed and acknowledged. A remote online notarization or electronic notarization of an advance directive that complies with IC 33-42-17 complies with subdivision (2).
(d) A competent declarant and the witnesses or a notarial officer may complete and sign an advance directive in two (2) or more counterparts in tangible paper form, with the declarant's signature placed on one (1) original counterpart and with the signatures of the witnesses, if any, or the notarial officer's signature and certificate on one (1) or more different counterparts in tangible paper form, so long as the declarant and the witnesses or notarial officer comply with the presence requirement as described in section 19 of this chapter, and so long as the text of the advance directive states that it is being signed in separate paper counterparts. If an advance directive is signed in counterparts under this subsection:(2) a health care representative who is designated in the advance directive;(3) a person who supervised the signing of the advance directive in that person's presence; or(4) any other person who was present during the signing of the advance directive; must combine all of the separately signed paper counterparts of the advance directive into a single composite document that contains the text of the advance directive, the signature of the declarant, and the signatures of the witnesses, if any, or the notarial officer. The person who combines the separately signed counterparts into a single composite document must do so not later than ten (10) business days after the person receives all of the separately signed paper counterparts. Any scanned copy, photocopy, or other accurate copy of the composite document that contains the complete text of the advance directive and all signatures will be treated as validly signed under this section. The person who creates the signed composite document under this subsection may include information about compliance within this subsection in an optional affidavit that is signed under section 41 of this chapter.
(e) If facts and circumstances, including physical impairments or physical isolation of a competent declarant, make it impossible or impractical for the declarant to use audiovisual technology to interact with the two (2) witnesses and to satisfy the presence requirement under section 19 of this chapter, the declarant and the witnesses may use telephonic interaction throughout the signing process. A potential witness cannot be compelled to use telephonic interaction alone to accomplish the signing of an advance directive under this section. A declarant and a notarial officer may not use telephonic interaction to accomplish the signing of an advance directive or other document under this chapter.(f) If an advance directive is signed under subsection (e), the witnesses must be able to positively identify the declarant by receiving accurate answers from the declarant that:(1) authenticate the identity of the declarant; and(2) establish the capacity and sound mind of the declarant to the satisfaction of the witness.(g) The text of the advance directive signed under subsection (e) must state that the declarant and the witnesses used telephonic interaction throughout the signing process to satisfy the presence requirement.(h) An advance directive signed under subsection (e) is presumed to be valid if it recites that the declarant and the witnesses signed the advance directive in compliance with Indiana law.(i) A health care provider or other person who disputes the validity of an advance directive signed under subsection (e) has the burden of proving the invalidity of the advance directive or noncompliance with subsection (e) by a reasonable preponderance of the evidence.(j) If a declarant resides in or is located in a jurisdiction other than Indiana at the time when the declarant signs a writing that communicates the information described in subsection (a), the writing must be treated as a validly signed advance directive under this chapter if the declarant was not incapacitated at the time of signing and if the writing was:(1) signed and witnessed or acknowledged in a manner that complies with subsections (b) and (c); or(2) signed in a manner that complies with the applicable law of the jurisdiction in which the declarant was residing or was physically located at the time of signing.Amended by P.L. 199-2021,SEC. 9, eff. 7/1/2021.Added by P.L. 50-2021,SEC. 63, eff. 7/1/2021.