Medical Aid-in-Dying Bill Short on Votes, Unlikely to Pass Senate Committee

By Danielle J. Brown, February 26, 2024

A controversial bill for medical aid-in-dying [assisted suicide/euthanasia], which would allow qualifying terminally-ill patients to prompt their own death with the help of a physician, will likely be stalled for a least another year, as some senators “continue to wrestle” with the issue, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith (D-Montgomery) said Monday night. [pictured left] .

The issue has come to Maryland lawmakers before, and some find it hard to decide whether to allow a physician to aid in the intentional death of a terminally-ill patient at the patient’s request.

While both versions of the bill, SB 443 and HB 403, have been discussed in committee hearings this year, neither has come to a vote yet. Smith on Friday essentially gave members of the Judicial Proceedings panel a deadline to make a decision.

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.

Attorney Sara Buscher Opposes SB 311

RE:  SB 311

Please do not vote for  this bill to be reported out of committee. Do everything you can to oppose passage.

Under the bill, safeguards end when the lethal dose is in the home. With no required witness, if the person struggled, who would know?

Slayers can inherit because 5-6A-11 (D)(2) says a death with such a lethal dose is not homicide.

Elder abuse affects 1 in 10 elders and triples their risk of death. https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/elder-justice/elder-abusefacts/

Dore Memo Opposing HB 399 and SB 311

To view this memo and supporting documentation as a pdf, click here

I. INTRODUCTION  

I am an attorney in Washington State where assisted suicide is legal.[1] Our law is based on a similar law in Oregon.[2] Both laws are similar to the proposed bills, HB 399 and SB 311.[3]

The bills seek to legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia as those terms are traditionally defined. The bills call these practices, “aid in dying.” If enacted, the bills will apply to people with years, even decades, to live.

The bills will also allow undue influence. A required falsification of the death record will provide cover for murder. I urge you to vote “No” on HB 399 and SB 311.

"Powerful Testimony" Presented by Elder Law Attorney Margaret Dore

Assisted Suicide Proponents Wilt After Tough Questioning by Committee

http://www.choiceillusion.org/2016/03/assisted-suicide-proponents-wilt-after.html From Stop Assisted Suicide Maryland

Posted on February 26, 2016

(Annopolis MD) Proponents of physician-assisted suicide struggled to answer the tough questions thrown at them at yesterday’s Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing on SB 418. The Committee met late into the night with Senators raising significant concerns with the bill and its lack of protections.

The message from proponents, led by national group Compassion & Choices, was that any protections in the law would stall a patient’s ability to get a lethal prescription from their physician. And questions surrounding these increased protections continuously baffled witnesses. There is nothing in this bill that would require a mental health screening, or ensure a physician is present at the time the lethal dose is taken. Proponents’ response to these concerns is that the Maryland healthcare system can’t support these types of mandates.  This is a weak excuse when it comes to protecting our most vulnerable populations who will be at risk if this bill is passed.