As we come to the end of the first full week of May, Death with Dignity legislation continues to make remarkable progress nationwide as some legislation gets increasingly closer to becoming law, and one state’s bill reaches a historic milestone! 

Here’s what happened:

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts End of Life Option Act (SB1131) was reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and has now been sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, where it is expected to receive a hearing and be voted on. This is the furthest a Death with Dignity bill has ever progressed through the Massachusetts legislature. 

New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, HB1283 is set to have a final floor vote in the Senate on Thursday, May 16. Ahead of the vote, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Alliance for End of Life Options (NHAELO), Death with Dignity is asking Granite State supporters to sign a petition to the entire Senate to demonstrate broad support for the bill. 

Colorado

Colorado’s SB068 was formally delivered to Governor Jared Polis’ office and awaits his approval and signature. When signed, the bill will reduce the waiting period for patients seeking an aid-in-dying prescription from 15 to 7 days and expand the number of practitioners who can participate in the law.

Although many state legislatures will close their doors in the coming month, we are still seeing consistent and positive updates on aid-in-dying legislation. If you want to get these updates as they happen, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X!