1. Legal Status of PAD, August 11, 2015
ProCon.org, DeathwithDignity.org
PAD legal by ballot measure and/or legislative statute in OR, WA, VT
By decision of state Supreme Court in Montana
NEW: District court decision in New Mexico, which legalized PAS in Bernallilo county was reversed August 11, 2015; likely to be appealed to state Supreme Court, but this decision makes the practice again illegal in the state.
Pink: illegal by common law (established by past court decisions)
Red: Illegal by statute
White: not explicitly addressed
Yellow: legislation and/or lawsuit pending
Yellow with black stripes: legislation defeated/tabled 2015
Blue: related but different legislative action taken
Status as of 8/11/15:
Details at
Maine: bill introduced 4/7/15; passed by Joint Health and Human Services committee on vote of 7-5. Passed by House (76-70), defeated in Senate (18-17).
New Hampshire: bill “to study end-of-life decisions” introduced 1/8/15; passed in House in March; vetoed by governor.
Vermont: while VT passed a PAS law in 2013, it included “sunset provisions” which would have significantly loosened the constraints around the process required to request, prescribe, and administer lethal medications. A bill repealing those sunset provisions, and thus leaving the process constraints in place, was passed and signed into law this session.
Massachusetts: bill introduced 1/15/15.
Rhode Island: bills introduced 2/12/15 (House) & 3/3/15 (Senate). House bill “tabled for further study”
Connecticut: bill introduced 1/23/15, but failed to reach a vote in Senate Judiciary committee
New York: Bills to legalize PAS introduced in both House and Senate (2/13/15); parallel “self-determination” bill introduced in House (1/15/15) session ended; neither bill advanced. Lawsuit pending before state Supreme Court.
New Jersey: bill introduced in 2014; passed House; pending final vote in Senate. Gov. Christie vowed to veto
Delaware: bill introduced 5/28/15; “tabled” in committee
District of Columbia: bill introduced to District of Columbia council; a public hearing was held on July 10, but no action taken so far on the bill.
Maryland: Parallel bills introduced in House and Senate; heard in committee in both chambers. Bill killed April 1 with decision not to vote.
North Carolina: bill introduced 4/9/15; referred to Judiciary committee 4/13/15; has not advanced.
Tennessee: bill introduced 3/31/15; committees which heard bill in each chamber voted to move to summer study
Wisconsin: bills introduced (for 7th time in 20 years) in each chamber (House, 2/11/15; Senate, 3/3/15); referred to respective chambers’ health committees in February, but not so far heard
Minnesota: bills introduced in each chamber (Senate, 3/18/15; House, 3/23/15); legislative session ended with no action on the bills.
Iowa: bill introduced in House, 1/21/15; stalled in committee
Missouri: bill introduced in House 1/7/15; legislative session ended with no action on the bill.
Kansas: bill introduced in House 1/28/15; referred to Health committee; legislative session ended with no action on the bill.
Oklahoma: bill introduced in House 2/2/15; referred to Health committee; legislative session ended with no action on the bill.
Wyoming: bill introduced but quickly tabled and recommended for further study
Colorado: bill introduced in House; defeated in Health committee
Utah: bill introduced in House; tabled for further study
Nevada: bill introduced in House; defeated in Health committee without a hearing
California: bill introduced in House, approved by Health, Judiciary, Appropriations committees; passed by Senate on vote of 23-14; pulled twice from hearings in the Assembly health committee; unlikely to advance in 2015 session. One of two lawsuits filed in California challenging constitutionality of statutory prohibitions against assisting suicide dismissed by judge.
Alaska: bill introduced 2/9/15; heard by Health committee in April; status unclear
PAD legal
PAD legal or not illegal by court decision
Illegal by common law
Legislative session ended w/o action
Explicitly illegal (inc. HI)
Legislation defeated/tabled 2015
Legislation and/or lawsuit pending (inc. AK, DC)
Other legislative action 1