Week 7/2017 in the Death with Dignity Movement

In the week from February 13 to February 19, 2017:

• The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed House Joint Resolution 27 disapproving of the D.C. Death with Dignity Act, on a 22 to 14 vote. However, the resolution failed to pass after it failed to come up for a vote in both the House or the Senate.
• Following the failure by Congress to disapprove of the D.C. Death with Dignity Act, Washington, D.C. today became the 6th jurisdiction to have an assisted dying statute.
• House Republicans vowed to block the D.C. Death with Dignity Act through the appropriations process by withholding funding needed to set up the reporting system under the Act.
• The Hawaii State Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health unanimously passed SB 1129, the Hawaii Death with Dignity Act, on a 6 to 0 vote.

District of Columbia

• “For Terminally Ill D.C. Residents, Death With Dignity Debate Is Personal,” WAMU, 2/13/2017
• “WATCH LIVE: House Panel Debates Blocking D.C. ‘Death With Dignity’ Law,” WAMU, 2/13/2017
• “Congress moves to strike down DC’s assisted-suicide law,” WTOP News via Associated Press, 2/13/2017
• “House committee moves to block D.C.’s assisted-suicide law,” Washington Post, 2/13/2017
• “U.S. Representatives vote against D.C. assisted suicide law,” Reuters, 2/13/2017

• “House Republicans move to block DC assisted-suicide law as tensions mount,” Fox News Politics, 2/14/2017
• “In death law debate, officials see life for home rule,” Washington Times, 2/14/2017
• “Congress Moves To Overturn D.C. ‘Death With Dignity Law’,” NPR / WAMU, 2/14/2017
• “House Poised to Block D.C. Suicide Law but Senate May Not Act,” Roll Call, 2/14/2017
• “Tribune Op-ed: Chaffetz’ federal overreach shouldn’t stop D.C. death with dignity act,” The Salt Lake Tribune, 2/14/2017

• “House committee moves to overturn DC assisted suicide law,” CNN, 2/15/2017
• “Effort to End D.C. Assisted-Death Law Appears Over,” Roll Call, 2/15/2017
• “Congressional Attempt To Block D.C. Assisted Suicide Bill Likely To Fall Short,” WAMU, 2/15/2017
• “House Republicans promise new line of attack on D.C.’s assisted-suicide law,” Washington Post, 2/15/2017
• “Senate Doesn’t Have Plans To Block D.C.’s Death With Dignity Law,” DCist, 2/15/2017
• “DC Councilmember Who Opposed the Assisted-Suicide Bill Doesn’t Want Congress to Repeal It,” Washingtonian, 2/15/2017
• “D.C.’s new right-to-die law catapults effort to block movement nationwide,” USA Today, 2/15/2017
• “D.C.’s Death With Dignity Law Survives Republican Attacks For Now,” DCist, 2/17/2017

Hawaii

• “Community Voice: Support Medical Aid In Dying Legislation,” Honolulu Civil Beat, 2/13/17, 2017
• “Hawaii lawmakers to hear controversial ‘death with dignity’ bill,” Hawaii News Now, 2/15/2017
• “Medical Aid In Dying Bill Stays Alive In Hawaii Senate,” Honolulu Civil Beat, 2/15/2017
• “Assisted-death legislation passed by panel,” Honolulu Star Advertiser, 2/16/2017

Elsewhere

• Arizona: “Arizona bill would allow providers to opt out of ‘right to die’ efforts,” AZ Central, 2/15/2017
• California: “No Death With Dignity: While Desert Regional, JFK Memorial Are Starting to Support California’s End of Life Option Act, Eisenhower Medical Center Keeps Saying ‘No’,” CV Independent, 2/16/2017
• Iowa: “A second chance to pass aid-in-dying bills,” Des Moines Register, 2/16/2017
• Maryland: “Legislators consider a bill to legalize aid-in-dying meds,” Washington Times, 2/16/2017 (also in CBS Baltimore)
• New York: “Religious leaders gather to show support for aid in dying legislation,” WXXI, 2/14/2017