AUGUSTA – The state Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday that would simplify the process surrounding do-not-resuscitate orders.

The bill, which has been championed by Arthur Boivin of Rumford, now heads to the House of Representatives.

It’s unlikely that the bill will face any opposition in the House, said Sen. Bruce Bryant, D-Dixfield, who sponsored the legislation.

Boivin became an advocate for the bill after the death of his wife, Lyanne, last spring.

The legislation changes the rules that emergency medical personnel must follow when they encounter a DNR. It simplifies the DNR form into a single sheet and drops the requirement that a doctor write the order, while ensuring informed consent for the decision to refuse potentially lifesaving treatments. It also directs that the form be widely available, including in a downloadable format from the Internet.

The legislation also requires the director of Maine Emergency Medical Services to report back to the committee in January 2007 after consultation with interested parties as part of a working group on the changes in the law and to make recommendations for other changes.

– David Farmer