Huge Setback for Proponents

Anne Hanson, MD

On March 16, 2020, the Maryland Legislature adjourned without passing bills seeking to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia (HB 643 and SB 701). Dr. Anne Hanson, states:

We testified on the Senate version, SB 701, on 2/28/20. There was no hearing on the House bill and neither advanced out of committee. Best success we've had since the first go-around in 2015!

Hansen added, this was "a huge setback for proponents considering the bill failed to pass into law by one vote last year."

Thank you to Dr. Hanson and everyone else who made this possible.

Dore Memo Opposing Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

Senate Chamber

"Don't make yourself and the people you care about sitting ducks to heirs and other predators."

To view pdf memo and appendix, click here and here.

I.   INTRODUCTION 

Bills SB 701 and HB 643 seek to legalize “aid in dying,” a euphemism meaning active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.[1] 

The bills employ other euphemisms, and also non sequiturs, which render the bills difficult to understand. As an example, the bills refer to the lethal dose used to kill patients as “medication,” a word normally defined as a “substance used to treat disease or injury.”[2]

The bills are also not limited to dying people, “eligible” persons may have years or decades to live. Voluntary patient action is allowed, but not required. For all these reasons, I urge you to vote “No” on SB 701 and HB 643.

Dr. Hanson's Testimony Opposing Assisted Suicide, Due to: Suicide Contagion; Safeguard Failures; and Implications for the Practice of Psychiatry

Anne Hanson, MD

The Maryland Psychiatric Society opposes HB 643, the End-of-Life Option Act. Since this bill was first introduced in 2015, the Maryland Psychiatric Society has extensively deliberated the legislation within the organization through several listserv discussions, a member survey, and a four hour pro-con debate sponsored jointly with the Maryland somatic physician's organization, Med Chi. In addition to reviewing the legislation each year, we considered information contained in the American Psychiatric Association's resource document on assisted suicide (APA 2017) and other literature as cited in the references below.

The Maryland Psychiatric Society recognizes that this is a divisive issue and that some of our members disagree with the organization's position. Those members have been encouraged to contact their elected officials to contribute their thoughts and we welcome consideration of both sides of this serious policy.

The Maryland Psychiatric Society maintains its opposition to HB 643. There are three general areas of concern.