Aid-in-dying bill passes CA Senate, heads to Assembly
California lawmakers have advanced a right-to-die bill, giving hope to those who want the nation’s most populous state to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives under doctor’s care. The state Senate passed the measure on a 23 to 14 vote Thursday, ahead of a legislative deadline.
Senate Bill (SB) 128, authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) and Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis), passed with a vote of 23-14.
The issue gained traction nationally after 29-year-old Brittany Maynard moved from California to Oregon to end her life in November. Oregon allows doctors to prescribe suicide drugs to certain consenting patients.
Maynard recorded her final days in widely viewed online videos that included support for right-to-die laws.
Opponents of such legislation in California and elsewhere say suicide is against God’s will and that some patients may feel pressured to kill themselves so they don’t burden family members.
The measure heads to the Assembly.
“The passage of the Aid-in-Dying bill out of the Senate is a historic step forward and I am gratified that my colleagues support providing an option for terminally ill patients who are faced with difficult end of life decisions,” said Senator Monning. “Californians with terminal diseases should have the autonomy to approach death on their own terms and I look forward to continuing this policy discussion in the Assembly.”
33405624Monning office said the bill includes these provisions:
-Only adults with terminal diseases who are residents of California may request and obtain prescriptions from their physician for medication that the patient has the capability to self-administer.
-Two separate physicians are required to confirm the patient’s prognosis of six months or less to live and that the patient has the mental capacity to make their own health care decisions.
-Two oral requests are required to be made by a patient with a terminal disease to a physician, a minimum of 15 days apart, in addition to one written request, with two witnesses attesting to the request before the prescription is written.
-Patients maintain the right to rescind their request for the medication at any time. Only the patient may administer the medication.
-Safeguards against any coercion of patients with felony penalties for coercing or forging a request.
-The attending physician is required to discuss feasible alternatives or additional treatment alternatives with the patient, including, but not limited to, comfort care, hospice care, palliative care, and pain management.
-Healthcare providers are protected from civil or criminal liability, and from professional disciplinary action, if they fulfill a terminal, mentally-competent individual’s request.
-Participation by patients and healthcare providers is voluntary.
-No insurance policy may be conditioned upon or affected by a person choosing to request aid-in-dying medication.
