The Virginia General Assembly will consider a bill to allow for Medical Assistance in Dying, colloquially known as Assisted Suicide. HB 1649 (Kory) allows a physician to prescribe a controlled substance to a terminally ill patient for the purpose of ending their life in a humane and dignified manner. Under the bill, it would be a felony to encourage or coerce someone to exercise this option, or to coerce or encourage someone to rescind such a decision.
Under the proposed bill, the individual must make the request on two separate occasions, at least fifteen days apart. Before making a decision to end their life, a person must first be advised of available comfort care and pain management care. The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Courts of Justice.
When this issue was being studied by the Joint Commission on Health Care, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV) raised concerns that medical assistance in dying not become an alternative resulting from a failure to provide adequate health care for people with complex disabilities. We also urged that if the option does become available, that people with disabilities not be excluded from the option solely because of their disability. To the extent possible, these concerns appear to have been addressed in the proposed legislation.
We do not believe that there is a Senate equivalent to this bill.
dLCV is interested in hearing feedback from the community about this proposal. We expect that there are many divergent views; we will try to represent the various perspectives of the community. Likewise, at dLCV, we do our best to stay on top of the most important issues for people with disabilities, but we cannot know everything! If you are aware of some interesting bills going thru the legislature that you think we should be tracking, please let us know. Contact us at info@dlcv.org or by calling 1-800-552-3962 or 804-225-2042.
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.