D.C.’s Death with Dignity Law is Under Attack: What It Means for Your State

Congress Escalates Its Attacks on D.C.’s Death with Dignity Law

Since the passage of Washington, D.C.’s Death with Dignity law in 2017, Congressional opponents have made repeated attempts to undo the will of D.C. residents by attaching an amendment to the House Appropriations Committee’s Washington D.C. budget bill. 

This language has appeared nearly every year since the law took effect, seeking to block funding for the implementation of the law and effectively repeal it. Each time, advocates have helped us push back, and the provision has ultimately been removed by our strong allies in the U.S. Senate.

These repeated efforts highlight just how determined opponents are to deny D.C. residents access to the same end-of-life options available to people in ten states across the country.

This year, the threat is even more severe. Hidden in the latest federal spending bill is language that targets D.C.’s existing Death with Dignity Act for repeal, AND goes a step further: it would permanently strip the D.C. Council of its authority to ever consider such legislation again. If this harmful amendment passes, this would erase the law that residents fought so hard to secure, and would silence the voices of D.C. voters and local lawmakers for generations to come. 

It’s a blatant attempt by members of Congress to override the democratic process and impose their own agenda on the people of Washington, D.C. It’s also another attempt to dismantle existing Death with Dignity laws and end-of-life freedom across the U.S.

We cannot let D.C. be the first domino to fall in our Death with Dignity rights.

What Comes Next in the Fight for D.C.’s Law

Now that Congress is back in session, the fight over D.C.’s Death with Dignity law is reaching a critical point. The future of the Appropriations bill, and the harmful repeal language tucked inside it, could play out in several ways. 

One possibility is that the bill moves forward with the amendment intact, meaning the repeal language could make its way into the final budget, thus having a negative impact on D.C.’s Death with Dignity law. 

Another option is that the amendment is stripped out during negotiations between the Senate and the House, protecting D.C.’s Death with Dignity law and maintaining end-of-life freedom in D.C.

There’s also the chance that Congress avoids a final decision altogether by passing a continuing resolution, temporarily extending current funding levels without advancing the new bill. And, of course, if lawmakers fail to agree on any of these paths by September 30, 2025, the result could be a government shutdown.

Why Protecting D.C.’s Law Matters for Everyone

If Congress succeeds, these type of repeals will continue beyond D.C.—more repeals will strike at the heart of every state that respects voters’ right to choose how they die. Repealing D.C.’s Death with Dignity law would send a chilling warning: no law, no matter how just or popular, is safe from political attack—and could unravel Death with Dignity protections nationwide. For the terminally ill residents of D.C. who count on this law for peace of mind and control at the end of life, the consequences are devastating.

What happens in D.C. can happen to all states. This is why D.C. matters. We’re preparing to mobilize supporters nationwide. Every Senator needs to hear from us that protecting D.C.’s law is a matter of fairness, freedom, democracy, and human dignity. The right of terminally ill patients who want the option for a peaceful death is at risk.

Stay with us. We’ll be sharing more about how you can make your voice heard at this critical moment. Together, we must ensure Congress gets the message: D.C.’s Death with Dignity law must be protected.