Minnesota moved one step closer this week to legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill people.
A Minnesota bill that would allow terminally ill people to ingest deadly drugs to end their lives passed the House Health Finance and Policy Committee on Thursday in a 10-5 vote, meaning it advances to the Public Safety Committee.
The bill, called the “End of Life Options Act,” or HF1930, would allow an adult 18 or older who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to self-administer drugs to kill themselves.
A person who wants these drugs must have the mental capacity to give their informed consent — people with dementia would not qualify — and they must be able to self-administer the drugs. At least two healthcare providers, including one physician, must evaluate the person and agree they meet the criteria.
