Michigan Democrats Propose 6-Month Assisted-Dying Bill With 15-Day Waiting Period
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 12
Michigan Democrats Propose 6-Month Assisted-Dying Bill With 15-Day Waiting Period
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 12
Michigan House Democrats introduced a Death with Dignity package that would let terminally ill, mentally capable adults with 6 months or less to live request life-ending medication.
Patients would need written and oral requests, a 15-day wait, review by 2 doctors, possible mental-health evaluation, and notice of hospice, pain care and their right to rescind.
The bills bar lethal injection or active euthanasia, shield compliant doctors and pharmacists from liability, let providers opt out, and treat deaths under the law as non-suicide for insurance purposes.
A 20-year felony and up to a $375,000 fine would apply for forging or altering a request, while the state health department would audit cases and issue annual reports.
Michigan would join about a dozen states and Washington, D.C., if the measure passes, extending a push that saw Delaware, New York and Illinois approve similar laws in 2025.
As laws expand elsewhere, what prevents a 'right to die' from becoming a 'duty to die' for the vulnerable?
Can organ donation after assisted dying be a final gift without creating an unethical conflict of interest?
How will the state ensure a patient's choice is truly free from subtle family or financial pressures?