Nevada’s Death With Dignity Act Will Not Advance This Legislative Session

Las Vegas Mother with Incurable Cancer Continues to Urge Passage of Medical Aid-In-Dying Laws Nationwide

Apr 24, 2019 medical aid in dying Nevada Nevada Death with Dignity Act

Nevada Senate Bill 165 ran out of time today and will not move forward during this legislative session. The bill, along with many others, ran against the April 23 deadline for the “first house passage.” The bill was introduced by Sen. David Parks (D-Las Vegas) on February 14 and was heard by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on February 25. Following a work session on March 20, the Committee passed the bill 3 to 2.

“We are deeply disappointed that the bill did not advance further today,” said Ashley Cardenas, Policy & Programs Director for Compassion & Choices and Las Vegas local. “Courageous people living with terminal illnesses have testified and urged lawmakers to pass the bill so they could have the option of medical aid in dying if and when no other treatment provides relief for their unbearable suffering. Hundreds more have visited their legislators, submitted testimony and made their voices heard in support of medical aid in dying. We remain confident that the will of the people of Nevada, who so strongly support medical aid in dying, will soon prevail.”

This comes just one day after Hanna Olivas, a 44-year-old mother of four with incurable blood cancer who resides in Las Vegas, recorded bilingual videos to urge legislators to pass medical aid-in-dying laws in Nevada and throughout the country.

Hanna was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, multiple myeloma, in August 2017. This incurable illness causes severe bone pain, fractures following minor trauma, anemia, weakness, frequent infections, kidney failure and tumor growth.  

“We, as patients, fight every single day a battle that people that don't have cancer could never understand,” Hanna says in the video. “And they might not agree with it [medical aid in dying], but at least give us the option to do it if that's what we choose.”

The video is available in English and Spanish.

Compassion & Choices will continue to work alongside Hanna and the Nevada Coalition for Death with Dignity to educate lawmakers and explore every opportunity to pass this legislation as soon as possible so that terminally ill Nevadans have the option to die a peaceful death in line with their values and beliefs.