Current Status: Enacted
The Oregon Death with Dignity Act has been in effect since October 27, 1997. It has worked exactly as intended, without flaws or any evidence of abuse or coercion.
The Oregon Health Authority monitors and enforces compliance with the Act and each February produces an annual report.
Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act has helped to improve end-of-life health care for thousands of Oregonians. We are proud Oregon leads the way in palliative care, hospice care and in providing peace of mind for the terminally ill.
Resources and Additional Information
About the Statute and Its Implementation
- Full text of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act
- Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division
- State Report Navigator
Resources for Patients
- How to access the Oregon Death with Dignity Act
- End of Life Choices Oregon – a nonprofit organization which helps patients navigate the request process of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.
- Form for patients – Request for Medication to End My Life in a Peaceful and Dignified Manner
Resources for Healthcare Providers
Take Action
Share Your Story
Write Now ›What does death with dignity mean to you?
Most people join our movement because of a heartbreaking personal experience. We receive stories of such experiences every day, and every day they inspire us to work toward ensuring terminally-ill Americans have the freedom to decide how they die. We want to hear from you. What's your death with dignity story? What inspired you to get involved in the cause?
History
2019 Legislative Session
In the 2019 legislative session, the Oregon legislature approved and Governor Kate Brown on July 23, 2019 signed a bill that eliminates the 15-day waiting period between oral requests for patients who are fewer than 15 days from death. The law went into effect on January 1, 2020. Learn more about SB 579 ›
A Quarter Century of Death with Dignity
Oregon voters approved the Death with Dignity Act at the ballot in 1994. In 1997, Oregonians reiterated their support when they defeated a ballot measure aiming to repeal the law. The Act went into into effect shortly thereafter. Over the 18 years since the law took effect, the State of Oregon reports over 1,500 terminally ill patients have received prescriptions for aid in dying medication, and just under 1,000 used that medication to hasten their deaths.
The Act has withstood multiple attempts to nullify it, both legislatively, in the Oregon legislature and the US Congress, and in federal courts. In 2006, US Supreme Court ruled that Oregon physicians can prescribe life-ending medication under the Act.
History of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act in 10 Minutes
For a complete history, read the article below:
