Updates on the Massachusetts Death With Dignity Bill (sharing their newsletter)
Besides the arrival of summer and strawberries, there is SOME good news these days . . . about the MA. Death w/Dignity bill!
It was PASSED by the Legislature's 17-member Joint Committee on Public Health on May 29 by a substan-tial majority!
Many of us thought this outcome was unlikely given the overarching priority of the Legislature to deal with the pandemic crisis, and the serious disruption to the legislative process of the past three months. We thought that at best, this bill might only be given another extension for consideration over the next few months.
So we're on our way toward becoming the lucky #10 in '20--the 10th state (Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado, Montana) plus Washington DC to legalize the option (by statute, and in one state by judicial ruling) of medical, compassionate aid in dying, also known as Death with Dignity. Our bill is titled 'The End of Life Options Act' (House#4782 and Senate#2745).
We are now the only state in the country with an active bill still being considered by a Legislature this year. It would be a great boost to other states' efforts next year (like New Hampshire, New York, and Maryland) to have Massa-chusetts pass it this year!
So, please contact your friends and family in other states, especially in the Northeast; and urge them to contact people they know in Mass. and to encourage them to contact their MA. legislators to support passing 'The End of Life Options Act' (H.4782, S.2745) this summer.
And we urge you to take some or all of these additional actions:
** contact the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on HealthCare Financing, where the bill was referred after passage by the Joint Committee on Public Health. Urge them to pass the bill as soon as possible.
Sen. Cindy Friedman 617-722-1432 cindy.friedman@masenate.gov
Rep. Daniel Cullinane 617-722-2430 daniel.cullinane@mahouse.gov
** contact your own legislators, and let them know that
-- you're glad the Public Health Committee passed The End of Life Options Act (thank them if they happen to be on that Committee);
-- you urge them to support its passage by the Joint Committee on HealthCare Financing, and then the full House and Senate, before July 31;
-- you also appreciate and support all they're doing to provide much-needed medical and economic support to our communities from the Covid19 crisis.
