Compassion & Choices today applauded legislators in the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving Senate Bill 403, with a vote of 10-1 on Tuesday night. The bill, authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear would eliminate the sunset in the End of Life Option Act, and make medical aid in dying a permanent option for terminally ill Californians. SB 403 overwhelmingly cleared the Senate Health Committee last week and now advances in the Senate for further consideration.
Legislators on Tuesday held a hearing on SB 403, a bill that would only amend the End of Life Option Act, by removing a sunset clause that would make medical aid in dying a permanent option in California. All other provisions of the law would remain unchanged, including the multi-step request process, eligibility confirmation, and multiple patient requests.
“For the last 10 years, the End of Life Option Act has been working as intended,” said Compassion & Choices Chief Advocacy Officer Charmaine Manansala. ”SB 403 does not change the law in any way – it simply removes the sunset. California is the only state in the nation that has a medical aid in dying law with a sunset, and we are grateful to Senator Blakespear for championing this bill. Removing the sunset will provide comfort to terminally-ill Californians so they can be secure in their ability to access the law in the future, if that is what they desire.”
Dan Díaz, husband of the late Brittany Maynard testifies before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The End of Life Option Act holds particular significance for Dan Díaz, husband of the late Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old California woman with terminal brain cancer, who moved to Oregon in 2014 to utilize its death-with-dignity law.
Brittany and Dan had been married for less than two years when she made international headlines by announcing her intention to die under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. She planned to take doctor-prescribed medication when her suffering became too great. Brittany died peacefully at her home in Oregon on November 1, 2014.
“The people of California deserve better than the odyssey Brittany had to go through, of leaving the state just to ensure a gentle death,” Díaz testified before legislators. “Making this law permanent ensures that option.”
Medical aid-in-dying laws have strict safeguards and practice requirements to ensure the highest standard of care.
“Since the End of Life Option Act was enacted, the California Dept of Health has collected and published data to monitor the effectiveness of the law,” said Jaspreet Chowdhary, Senior Legislative Counsel at Compassion & Choices. “ These reports show that Californians are using the law in the way it was intended.”
Three in four Californians (75%) support the End of Life Option Act, including the majority of every demographic group surveyed. That includes: Hispanic Californians (68%), Black Californians (70%), Asian Californians (76%), and white Californians (82%), according to the California Health Care Foundation.
In California, 1,281 terminally ill Californians obtained prescriptions for medical aid in dying and 884 patients (69%) took the medication in 2023. The aid in dying medication was prescribed by 337 unique physicians. The underlying illnesses of the individuals who utilized medical aid in dying were: cancer: 63.8%, cardiovascular: 12.1%, neurological disease: 8.8 %, respiratory diseases 8%, and other causes 7.2%. The report states that 93.8% were receiving hospice or palliative care. In California, 1,281 terminally ill Californians obtained prescriptions for medical aid in dying and 884 patients (69%) took the medication in 2023. The aid in dying medication was prescribed by 337 unique physicians. The underlying illnesses of the individuals who utilized medical aid in dying were: cancer: 63.8%, cardiovascular: 12.1%, neurological disease: 8.8 %, respiratory diseases 8%, and other causes 7.2%. The report states that 93.8% were receiving hospice or palliative care. No substantiated cases of fraud or abuse of the law have been reported in California.
Medical aid in dying is authorized in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana (via a state Supreme Court ruling), Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Washington, D.C. and Vermont.
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