California

End of Life Option Act

This act permits an adult with a terminal disease and the mental capacity to make health care decisions to request and be prescribed an aid-in-dying drug if specified conditions are met. The act is to be found in the Health and Safety Code Section 443 et seq.

Amendments to the End of Life Option Act

This act amended the End of Life Option Act. It improves the access to the End of Life Option Act: 

• The mandatory minimum waiting period between the 1st and 2nd oral request will be reduced from 15 days to 48 hours
• Healthcare systems and hospices will have to post their aid-in-dying policies on their websites
• The final attestation form will be eliminated
• If a patient makes a request for medical aid in dying and their doctor cannot support them in it, the doctor will be required to tell the patient they will not support them, document the request in the patient’s medical record and transfer the patient’s medical records upon request
• Clarify that medical aid in dying can be taken within a helathcare facility