Imagine a world where 2.5 million more terminally ill individuals have access to Death with Dignity THIS YEAR! Well, this week, Delaware and New Hampshire took significant steps toward bringing that vision closer to reality. With this progress, 2024 may be a landmark year for the Death with Dignity movement. 

Here’s what happened:

Delaware

Delaware’s Ron Silverio/Heather Block End-of-Life Options Law (HB140) passed the Delaware House with a 21-16 in favor vote. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Executive Committee and awaits a public hearing. 

Delaware has been working to pass Death with Dignity since 2015, and this is the first time a medical aid in dying (MAID) bill has ever passed either chamber of the state legislature! We are incredibly thankful to the Delaware advocates who have been committed to this bill for nearly ten years and our bill sponsors, State Representatives Paul Baumbach, Melissa Minor-Brown, and Eric Morrison for their work in moving this bill to the Senate!

New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, HB1283 received a public hearing in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. We saw overwhelming support from those who testified, with almost double the number of advocates testifying in favor of the bill compared to against it. 

This is the first time a Death with Dignity bill in New Hampshire has received a public hearing in the Senate after crossing over from the House. Stay tuned for more updates on if the bill is voted out of the committee!

As state legislative sessions wind down, updates about MAID bills have been unfolding quickly as they race through the legislature. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X, so you get the latest breaking news as it happens!