Maryland

Status of Medical Aid in Dying

The Maryland End of Life Option Act (HB 0403), The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shane E. Pendergrass Act, was introduced on January 18, 2024, and referred to the Health and Government Operations and Judiciary committees. If authorized, this bill would allow a terminally ill, mentally capable adult to request a prescription from their physician that they could take to bring about a peaceful death. A summary of the bill can be found here.

The Senate companion bill (SB 0443) was introduced on January 22, 2024. The hearing will take place on February 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

We are waiting for a hearing date for the House to be announced.

Marylanders deserve the full range of options for care at the end of life – including medical aid in dying, which allows terminally ill adults to get a prescription they can take to end their life peacefully.

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Support the movement to bring compassionate end-of-life options to Maryland.

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Polling Data

Graphic showing state-wide majority support for medical aid in dying, across all races and party affiliations Graphic showing that medical aid in dying has majority support across voters, including those with disabilities and across regligions.

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Maryland Stories

Latest Maryland News

Medida de Ley de Ayuda Médica para Morir Se Presenta con Grandes Esperanzas de Convertirse en Ley, Gracias al Apoyo del Presidente del Senado, Gobernador
January 17, 2024

Mujer de Maryland con Enfermedad Terminal y Defensores se Unen a Patrocinadores de la Medida de Ley Para Pedir su Aprobación Defensores de mucho tiempo que apoyan la medida de ayuda médica para morir, aplaudieron el miércoles la reintroducción de la propuesta  de ley con grandes esperanzas de que se apruebe este año, gracias al…

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Honoring Allyne Hammer Excellence in Advocacy Award Winner Rosalind Kipping
September 6, 2023

Rosalind Kipping, the inaugural Allyne Hammer co-award winner, has been an advocate for end-of-life options for decades. In the 1970s and 80s she was living in California where she became a member of Hemlock Society USA, sticking with the organization through its many iterations and ideological shifts before becoming Compassion & Choices. Rosalind has always…

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New MD Poll Shows Pro-Choice & Pro-Life Voters Support Medical in Dying, Record Support Statewide
February 8, 2023

Terminally Ill Maryland Woman, Advocates Join Bill Senate Sponsor, House Cosponsor to Urge Bill’s Passage A record high percentage of Maryland voters (71%), including a majority of self-described pro-choice voters (82%) and a plurality of self-described pro-life voters (49% vs. 44%), support medical aid in dying, according to a new poll by Gonzales Research & Media Services. Previous Gonzales polls…

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New Gonzales Research Poll Shows Strong Support for Medical in Dying
February 3, 2022

A strong majority of Maryland voters support medical aid-in-dying legislation, according to a new poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services and sponsored by the end-of-life care advocacy group Compassion & Choices. Compassion & Choices released the poll during a Zoom rally on Thursday at 9 a.m. featuring a Baltimore woman with metastatic breast cancer, Diane Kraus, urging Maryland lawmakers…

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New Gonzalez Research Poll Shows Strong Support for Medical in Dying
February 3, 2022

Marylander with Metastatic Breast, End-of-Life Care Advocacy Group Join Medical Aid-in-Dying Bill Author to Urge Bill’s Passage A strong majority of Maryland voters support medical aid-in-dying legislation, according to a new poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services and sponsored by the end-of-life care advocacy group Compassion & Choices. Compassion & Choices released the poll during a Zoom…

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Maryland Gov.-Elect Wes Moore Endorses Medical Aid in Dying
January 11, 2022

Paid for by Compassion & Choices Action Network. Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore endorsed medical aid in dying as an option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults to gently end unbearable suffering during a question and answer session at the Maryland Daily Record’s Eye on Annapolis Summit on key issues in 2023. Below is a partial transcript of…

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