Melissa Barber of Death with Dignity National Center reported on the developments in the USA: the debate over end-of-life healthcare policy reform is heating up in the North-east. Much of this is tied to the increased awareness and understanding of Death with Dignity laws resulting from the recent near victory in Massachusetts and last year’s historic achievement in Vermont.
Melissa Barber keeps track on these new bills and you can stay up-to-date by visiting her special legislative tracking page.
Some highlights:
- New Jersey Assemblyman Burzichelli reintroduced the proposed New Jersey Death with Dignity Act, and his counterparts in the State Senate reintroduced the matching bill for consideration in their chamber.
- New Hampshire representatives introduced a new bill emulating our model legislation, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.
- Massachusetts lawmakers are keeping the conversation about Death with Dignity laws alive by carrying over the Death with Dignity bill introduced last year. The joint committee where it resides heard testimony about the bill in December.
Peg Sandeen (DWDNC’s Executive Director) wrote an informative paper in Aging today, to be read here.