The 2024 legislative season is right around the corner and we are thrilled by the amount of legislative activity on the horizon! We want to take a moment to share what’s still to come this year and what is already on our radar as we head towards the new year. Here is the latest:

• Michigan: Michigan introduced the Michigan Death with Dignity Act (SB681), which has been referred to the Committee on Health Policy. SB681 is very consistent with other current Death with Dignity bills going through the legislative process. This is the first time a Death with Dignity bill has been introduced in Michigan since 2017.
  
• Wisconsin: Lawmakers in Wisconsin have filed draft legislation that could grant qualified terminally ill residents the option to request medical aid-in-dying (MAID) medications. This will be the first bill introduced since 2022 after that session’s Death with Dignity bill failed to pass out of committee. Learn more from the recent news post on our website!

• New York: As New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act (A995/S2445) enters its eighth year of consideration, we are excited to build off the late progress made during the 2023 legislative session. Thanks in part to the success of our Legislator Storytelling Series, more elected officials than ever have been publicly calling for bill movement, and we look forward to using that momentum when it carries over in January!
  
• Massachusetts: On October 20, the Joint Committee on Public Health held a public hearing for The Massachusetts End of Life Options Act (S1331/H2246). The hearing, which featured leading MAID advocates in the state, as well as Death with Dignity’s National Political Strategist, Geoff Sugerman, was the first step in moving the bill out of this committee. The bill will be carried over into the 2024 session.
  
• 2024 Carry-Over Bills: In seven states, Death with Dignity bills introduced in 2023 will automatically be carried over into 2024 without being formally re-introduced. This means in addition to Massachusetts and New York, Death with Dignity’s advocacy in Minnesota, Delaware, Iowa, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania is already set to continue! To check on the status of any state, head to the States page on our website.

As states across the country begin announcing new bills and more Death with Dignity news breaks, keep an eye on our website’s News section and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!