California

Status of Medical Aid in Dying

The California End of Life Option Act went into effect on June 9, 2016. This compassionate option allows for an eligible terminally ill adult, with a prognosis of six months or less to live, to request and receive a prescription form their doctor that they can self-ingest to peacefully end their suffering.

An improvement bill, SB 380, took effect in 2022. The Department of Public Health’s annual data report showed there was a 47% increase in Californians who used the law in 2022, increasing access to the law exactly as intended.

We will continue to work on reauthorizing this law, removing the sunset provision, and reducing barriers to access while ensuring safeguards remain intact.

The CDSS issued a notice to adult and senior care facilities about the End of Life Option Act. Residents who qualify for medical aid in dying living in assisted facilities and other adult or senior care facilities are able to take their medication in their home and can’t be evicted for choosing this option.

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Access California's form at CaringInfo

Find free advance directives and instructions for each state that can be opened as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file
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Additional Information

Schedule a Presentation: We’ll explain the full range of end-of-life options and explain step-by-step how the law works – in English and in Spanish.

Find resources in Spanish

Visit our End-of-Life Resource Center

California Stories

Latest California News

Updated Introduction to Medical Aid in Dying State Packets
August 7, 2024

Our Introduction to Medical Aid in Dying state packets help explain the medical aid in dying process in jurisdictions where it is authorized*. Compassion & Choices updated the packets to be the most comprehensive resource for those wanting to understand or use medical aid-in-dying laws.

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California Supreme Court Rules Advance Directives Do Not Cover Arbitration Agreements
April 4, 2024

Compassion & Choices, the American Association for Justice, and Public Justice Thursday praised a California Supreme Court ruling last week that a patient’s advance directive appointing a healthcare agent to make their medical decisions does not authorize them to sign arbitration agreements on the patient’s behalf. The groups, along with Consumer Attorneys of California, made the same conclusion in a friend-of-the-court brief they…

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Muere Pacíficamente Primer Latino con Enfermedad Terminal en Estados Unidos en Anunciar Públicamente Su Plan de Utilizar Ayuda Médica para Morir
April 1, 2024

Don José Alejandro Lemuz Murió el Domingo Después de Sufrir un Cáncer Terminal Don José Alejandro Lemuz, con cáncer de próstata terminal, murió pacíficamente en su casa de Wilmington, CA., después de utilizar la ley de ayuda médica para morir de California. Don José, Hondureño de 60 años, falleció el Domingo de Pascua a las…

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