Maine Legislature gives final approval to death with dignity bill

The Maine Legislature has given final approval to a death with dignity bill, sending it to Gov. Janet Mills.The Senate on Tuesday approved the bill 19 to 16, a day after the House approved it by one vote.Mills has not said whether she will sign the bill into law. The bill would allow patients with terminal illnesses and less than six months to live to ask for a fatal dosage of prescription drugs. Patients would need to follow a procedure that includes two waiting periods and a second opinion by a consulting physician, along with one written and two oral requests.Physicians would also screen patients for conditions like depression that could impair judgment.Health care providers could prohibit employees from participating in the law. The bill would criminalize the act of coercing a person into requesting such medications.Similar legislation passed the Senate in 2017, but died in the House.Six states have physician-assisted dying acts, including California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, according to the Dignity National Center and Death with Dignity Political Fund.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Maine Legislature has given final approval to a death with dignity bill, sending it to Gov. Janet Mills.

The Senate on Tuesday approved the bill 19 to 16, a day after the House approved it by one vote.


Mills has not said whether she will sign the bill into law.

The bill would allow patients with terminal illnesses and less than six months to live to ask for a fatal dosage of prescription drugs. Patients would need to follow a procedure that includes two waiting periods and a second opinion by a consulting physician, along with one written and two oral requests.

Physicians would also screen patients for conditions like depression that could impair judgment.

Health care providers could prohibit employees from participating in the law. The bill would criminalize the act of coercing a person into requesting such medications.

Similar legislation passed the Senate in 2017, but died in the House.

Six states have physician-assisted dying acts, including California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, according to the Dignity National Center and Death with Dignity Political Fund.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.