Your doctor has delivered the most frightening prognosis imaginable: You have no more than six months to live.

On Monday, lawmakers in both the state Senate and Assembly will decide the fate of a bill that would give you and other terminally ill patients in New Jersey have a legal right to decide how and when you die.

For six years, religious leaders and disability advocates have succeeded in casting doubt on whether the law would be abused and consequently lead to the premature deaths of people who could outlive a dire diagnosis.

The bill has benefited from the deliberate pace of the discussions, said Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, the prime sponsor of the “Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act.”

More protections have been added over the years to make sure patients are making the decision freely. Opponents remain unconvinced, however, that some patients will end their lives out of fear they are a burden to their families.

“This is the kind of topic where it just takes time to have people put the pieces together on their own,” said Burzichelli, who embraced the issue after watching family members grapple with terminal illness. “This is not an issue that involves twisting any arms.”

If the bill (A1504) passes both Democratic-controlled houses, Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, will decide whether to sign it into law. New Jersey would be the eighth state permitting “aid in dying.”

The law would apply to New Jersey residents who have received a terminal diagnosis, defined as an incurable, irreversible and medically confirmed disease that will end the person’s life within six months. Disabilities are not terminal illnesses, according to the legislation.

In order to get the prescription for the life-ending medication, patients will have to verbally ask their doctor twice over the span of 15 days. A second physician would need to verify the diagnosis, according to the bill.

Patients would also need to submit a request in writing, stating they had been “fully informed” of alternatives, such as palliative care and pain control. The declaration would need to be witnessed by two people who attest the person is acting voluntarily. One of the two must not be a relative or entitled to any portion of the patient’s estate or the person’s doctor.

Anyone who coerces a patient into requesting the medication would face up to three to five years in prison, a $15,000 or both, according to the bill. Doctors and pharmacists would also be protected from arrest or the loss of their license by complying with the law.

Burzichelli emphasized people who make the request can change their minds, and those who obtain the medication don’t have to use it.

“People may change their minds of their own volition, and nothing changes for those who are against this,” he said.

The latest poll on the topic taken by Rutgers University in 2015 found 63 percent of residents said they believed it was morally acceptable to let terminally ill people end their lives; 29 percent did not.

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Washington D.C. enacted right to die laws. Montana’s “right-to-die” was established under a court ruling, which provides physicians a legal defense or immunity from prosecution.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.