Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill for 2020 Coming Soon

Last year, Maryland lawmakers went on the record and rejected the dangerous practice of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), yet out-of-state interests continue trying to push our state to legalize the practice. As we anticipate the imminent release of this dangerous proposal –which are often referred to as “Death with dignity” or “aid in dying” – we will be calling on the state’s policymakers to again reject this dangerous and poorly crafted “End of Life Options Act”.

Regardless of what the bill looks like when it’s filed, what we’ve been saying all along still stands: there is no way to fix this bill. There are no safeguards that can truly protect against the coercion and abuse of vulnerable populations. There is no legislative solution to the fact that doctors cannot accurately predict a 6 month terminal diagnosis. There is no way to cover up in legislation that patients in states where this is legal are requesting the lethal drugs because they feel like they are a burden on their family, not because they are in pain. We could go on and on.

After intense work amending the bill in 2019, Maryland lawmakers came to this conclusion as well, rejecting physician-assisted suicide for the fourth time, proving that no amendments could make this bill acceptable for our state as it is dangerously flawed, a risk to vulnerable populations — including the elderly and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — and a severe threat to efforts to curb our state’s opioid epidemic.

As a continuously growing coalition of local bipartisan opposition to PAS, we are going to continue to call on our state leaders to again reject this dangerous legislation when it is introduced and stand up for Maryland’s most vulnerable residents.

Right now, though, we need your help more than ever. Please make sure that you are following us on Facebook and Twitter to stay as update to date as possible and urge your family, friends and colleagues to sign up on our website to receive our newsletter.

Thank you again for your on-going support. We look forward to continuing our important work together.

Sincerely,

– Maryland Against Physician Assisted Suicide