Today’s the deadline for opponents of medically assisted suicide in California to file objections. An appeals court put the state’s End of Life Option Act back in place after overturning a lower court ruling earlier this year. The rule allows doctors to proscribe lethal drugs for adult patients with six months or less to live. A similar law is also at risk in Washington, D.C., where a repeal has been attached to a Congressional appropriations bill. It’s not in the Senate version, however, so its future is unclear.
The End of Life Option Act allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal disease, who meets certain qualifications, to request aid-in-dying drug from their attending physician. The Act requires physicians to submit specified forms and information to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).