On April 19, 2023, our bill to authorize medical aid in dying in Connecticut (SB1076) did not advance in committee, effectively ending our campaign this year.
From September 25, 2023 through October, Tim Appleton, Compassion & Choices Action Network Senior Campaign Director for Connecticut, embarked on a statewide listening tour.
SB88, An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients, was introduced by the Public Health Committee on February 15, 2022. The Public Health Committee held a hearing and voted to advance this bill by a bipartisan vote of 22-9.
The bill was subsequently referred to the Judiciary Committee, where it received a vote, unlike the previous year. Unfortunately, the opposition chose to employ a rarely used political maneuver, and the bill was defeated. While the bill will not move forward this session, we made tremendous and historic progress thanks to the tireless work of Compassion & Choices supporters.
H.B. 6425, legislation authorizing medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients, was introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly on February 10, 2021. On Friday, February 26, the Public Health Committee held a hearing on H.B. 6425. Among others, Compassion & Choices President and CEO Kim Callinan testified at this hearing, and you can hear her remarks here. On Friday, March 5, the Public Health Committee voted 24-9 to move this bill out of committee and to the House floor.
The bill was subsequently referred to the Judiciary Committee, which decided to hold on the legislation, rendering it inactive.
HB 5420, An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients, was introduced for the 2020 Connecticut legislative session, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislature ended early on April 21 without further action on this bill.
A Connecticut aid-in-dying bill (HB 5898) failed to make it out of committee during an April 1, 2019 Joint Public Health Committee hearing. The legislation failed to make it out of committee despite the strong grassroots support of Connecticut residents. In 2020, we continue to grow our grassroots supporter base with events across the state that educate and empower residents of Connecticut to chart their own end-of-life journey.
On January 25, 2019 a Connecticut medical aid-in-dying bill (HB 5898) was introduced by Rep. John Steinberg. At a March 18 Joint Public Health Committee hearing, many Compassion & Choices supporters presented strong, substantive and supportive testimony including powerful personal testimony from advocates like Sharon Hines and award-winning actor, James Naughton. Sharon is a Middletown resident and oncology nurse practitioner living with stage IV lung cancer who sought this end-of-life option for herself.
Representative Josh Elliot introduced HB 6238, “An Act Concerning the Option to Die with Dignity”, for the 2017 legislative session.
Medical Aid in Dying legislation has been introduced in the Connecticut legislature four times in the past five years, in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. The bills were heard in Committee, but did not receive a vote. To encourage passage, Compassion & Choices mounted an intensive grassroots campaign to identify and mobilize supporters in every legislative district in the state.
Mail contributions directly to:
Compassion & Choices Gift Processing Center
PO Box 485
Etna, NH 03750
