New legislation being talked about in Lansing would make it easier for Michiganders to make medical decisions for loved ones.

The pair of bills would make Michigan a “next of kin” state, allowing a close relative to make medical decisions for someone who becomes incapacitated, thus avoiding the legal guardianship process. State Representative Jaime Thompson of Brownstown co-authored the legislation.

“We don’t want family members spending the last days with their loved ones in court fighting over getting guardianship when…we should be a next of kin state, and Michigan is not,” Thompson said.

The issue is personal for Thompson. She says that’s after her father passed away in 2023 after becoming sick in Kentucky, which is a next of kin state.