Compassion & Choices works with state House and Senate lawmakers to improve end-of-life care by supporting legislation that allows people to be the primary deciders in their end-of-life care.
Use the dropdown button below to find updates, resources, and opportunities to get involved in your state.
Compassion & Choices is leading efforts to authorize, implement and defend medical aid in dying in each state so all terminally ill people who are eligible will have access to the full range of end-of-life care options.
Medical aid in dying is authorized in 11 jurisdictions: California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
Fourteen states have introduced legislation to authorize medical aid in dying: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. While legislation varies by state, all of the bills are similar to the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. A brief overview of the core features and safeguards in the laws can be found here
Six states are considering legislation to improve or clarify existing medical aid-in-dying laws: Hawai‘i, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. We are primarily seeing the following types of improvements:
Medical Aid In Dying In Brief - week ending May 26, 2023.
SB 239, the Nevada End of Life Options Act, went to Governor Lombardo’s desk May 30. He has until June 5 to sign or veto, or else it passes without signature. Our advocates and supporters are keeping up the pressure by calling and emailing his office, urging him to sign the bill.
Supporters gathered at the state Capitol on May 30 to demand action from lawmakers, which resulted in an NPR story, Medical Aid in Dying supporters aren't giving up on a new law this year, published the same day.
