The Maryland End of Life Option Act (HB 0403), The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shane E. Pendergrass Act, was introduced on January 18, 2024, and referred to the Health and Government Operations and Judiciary committees. If authorized, this bill would allow a terminally ill, mentally capable adult to request a prescription from their physician that they could take to bring about a peaceful death. A summary of the bill can be found here.
The Senate companion bill (SB 0443) was introduced on January 22, 2024. The hearing will take place on February 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET.
We are waiting for a hearing date for the House to be announced.
Marylanders deserve the full range of options for care at the end of life – including medical aid in dying, which allows terminally ill adults to get a prescription they can take to end their life peacefully.
Support the movement to bring compassionate end-of-life options to Maryland.
A terminally ill Baltimore woman is urging her state senator for a yes vote on the End-of-Life Option Act after hearing that she opposes the bill, which she voted for in 2019, because it is only one vote short of passing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. “I cannot believe that I am hearing that my […]
Mujer de Maryland con Enfermedad Terminal y Defensores se Unen a Patrocinadores de la Medida de Ley Para Pedir su Aprobación Defensores de mucho tiempo que apoyan la medida de ayuda médica para morir, aplaudieron el miércoles la reintroducción de la propuesta de ley con grandes esperanzas de que se apruebe este año, gracias al […]
Rosalind Kipping, the inaugural Allyne Hammer co-award winner, has been an advocate for end-of-life options for decades. In the 1970s and 80s she was living in California where she became a member of Hemlock Society USA, sticking with the organization through its many iterations and ideological shifts before becoming Compassion & Choices. Rosalind has always […]
Terminally Ill Maryland Woman, Advocates Join Bill Senate Sponsor, House Cosponsor to Urge Bill’s Passage A record high percentage of Maryland voters (71%), including a majority of self-described pro-choice voters (82%) and a plurality of self-described pro-life voters (49% vs. 44%), support medical aid in dying, according to a new poll by Gonzales Research & Media Services. Previous Gonzales polls […]
For the past seven years, Delegate Shane Pendergrass has been the leader in the efforts to pass medical aid-in-dying legislation in Maryland, known as the Maryland Richard E. Israel and Roger “Pip” Moyer End of Life Option Act. This bill would give terminally ill Maryland residents with six months or less to live the option […]
Una gran mayoría de los votantes de Maryland apoyan la medida de ayuda médica para morir, de acuerdo a una encuesta nueva elaborada por Gonzáles Research & Media Services, y patrocinada por Compassion & Choices, el grupo de defensa de cuidados de salud para el fin de vida. Compassion & Choices publicó la encuesta durante […]
A strong majority of Maryland voters support medical aid-in-dying legislation, according to a new poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services and sponsored by the end-of-life care advocacy group Compassion & Choices. Compassion & Choices released the poll during a Zoom rally on Thursday at 9 a.m. featuring a Baltimore woman with metastatic breast cancer, Diane Kraus, urging Maryland lawmakers […]
Marylander with Metastatic Breast, End-of-Life Care Advocacy Group Join Medical Aid-in-Dying Bill Author to Urge Bill’s Passage A strong majority of Maryland voters support medical aid-in-dying legislation, according to a new poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services and sponsored by the end-of-life care advocacy group Compassion & Choices. Compassion & Choices released the poll during a Zoom […]
Paid for by Compassion & Choices Action Network. Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore endorsed medical aid in dying as an option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults to gently end unbearable suffering during a question and answer session at the Maryland Daily Record’s Eye on Annapolis Summit on key issues in 2023. Below is a partial transcript of […]
Compassion & Choices is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Rev. Joseph Kitchen, a Maryland volunteer supporter and activist. Rev. Kitchen served as the president of Young Democrats of Maryland and lent an active voice to progressive politics in the state. During the 2020 Maryland legislative session, Rev. Kitchen, along with faith leaders […]
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