Euthanasia in California: The End of Life Option Act
In 2015, California passed Assembly Bill No. 15, also known as the End of Life Option Act. This law allows terminally ill adults to request a prescription for a drug that can be self-administered to bring about their own death. The law was enacted to provide individuals with a terminal disease the option to end their suffering in a humane and dignified manner. It establishes procedures and safeguards to ensure the decision is voluntary and informed. The law also includes provisions to protect the rights and privacy of individuals involved.
This is a summary of the most relevant parts of the End of Life Option Act, outlining the key aspects of this legislation:
- Purpose: The End of Life Option Act authorizes an adult who meets certain qualifications and has been determined by their attending physician to be suffering from a terminal disease to request a drug prescribed for the purpose of ending their life.
- Procedures: The law establishes procedures for making these requests, including the use of specified forms to request an aid-in-dying drug.
- Medical Record: The law requires specified information, including all oral and written requests for an aid-in-dying drug, to be documented in the individual's medical record.
- Prohibition: The law prohibits a provision in a contract, will, or other agreement from being conditioned upon or affected by a person making or rescinding a request for the aid-in-dying drug.
- Insurance: The law prohibits the sale, procurement, or issuance of any life, health, or annuity policy, health care service plan contract, or health benefit plan from being conditioned upon or affected by the request for the aid-in-dying drug.
- Information: The law prohibits an insurance carrier from providing information about the availability of an aid-in-dying drug unless requested by the individual or their attending physician.
- Immunity: The law provides immunity from civil or criminal liability for individuals who are present when the qualified individual self-administers the drug or assists in preparing the drug, as long as they do not assist with the ingestion of the drug.
- Voluntary Participation: Participation in activities authorized by the law is voluntary, and healthcare providers are immune from liability for refusing to engage in these activities.
- Prohibition by Health Care Providers: Health care providers are authorized to prohibit their employees, independent contractors, or other persons or entities from participating in activities under the law while on their premises or acting within the course and scope of their employment or contract.
- Criminal Offenses: The law makes it a felony to knowingly alter or forge a request for the aid-in-dying drug without authorization, coerce or exert undue influence on an individual to request the drug, or administer the drug without the individual's knowledge or consent.
- Limitations: The law specifies that it does not authorize ending a patient's life by lethal injection, mercy killing, or active euthanasia, and actions taken in accordance with the law do not constitute suicide or homicide.
- Physician Requirements: Physicians are required to submit specified forms and information to the State Department of Public Health after writing a prescription for the aid-in-dying drug and after the death of an individual who requested the drug.
- Interpreter Declaration: The law allows the written request to be prepared in English even if conversations or consultations were conducted in a language other than English, as long as an interpreter's declaration is attached.
- Health Care Provider Sanctions: Health care providers may be sanctioned by their licensing board or agency for conduct constituting unprofessional conduct, including failure to comply in good faith with the law.
- Privacy Protection: The law imposes limitations on public access to personally identifiable patient data collected under the law to protect the privacy rights of the patient and their family.
Public opinion
According to a UC Berkeley poll conducted in August of that year 76% of Californians support the End of Life Option Act, also known as Death with Dignity legislation. Similarly, a Stanford University poll conducted earlier showed that 72.5% of Californians supported the then-proposed law. These polls indicate strong public support for the End of Life Option Act, which was enacted to provide individuals with a terminal disease the option to end their suffering in a humane and dignified manner.
