The mission of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia is to advance independence, choice and self-determination; protect legal, human and civil rights; and eliminate abuse, neglect and discrimination of people with disabilities through zealous and uncompromising legal advocacy and representation.
Legislation that would have allowed for medical assistance in dying, colloquially known as Assisted Suicide, in Virginia, has been set aside for consideration in the 2027 session.
HB 886 (Hope) and SB 359 (Boysko) would have allowed an adult diagnosed with a terminal condition to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient’s life. There are precautions in the bills and protections from legal liability for a practitioner who assists or who declines to assist. The bills make it a felony to coerce or influence a patient to end their life. Because of the felony provisions in the bills, and because the bill requires the Department of Health to monitor the use of the process, there was a significant potential fiscal impact.
The Senate bill was approved by a subcommittee of Health and Education, but failed to report from the full committee. The House bill was heard in House Courts of Justice, and was carried over to 2027.
dLCV recognizes that this proposal is very controversial. There are strongly held beliefs on both sides of the issue, throughout the disability community. dLCV’s position is that medical assistance in dying should not become an option resulting from a failure to provide adequate health care for people with complex disabilities. Many in the disability community are deeply concerned that this would be the inevitable outcome of the legislation. However, dLCV also maintains that if the option does become available, that people with disabilities should not be excluded from the option solely because of their disability.