PASSED IN THE HOUSE

HB 140, to authorize medical aid in dying, has been released from the House Committee and is expected to come to a vote on the House floor soon after the General Assembly reconvenes after its February recess.

We need you to contact your Representative to let him/her know your views on this issue. If s/he is on the fence or opposed, hearing from constituents could make all the difference. To find contact information (phone number and/or email address), go to:

https://legis.delaware.gov/Chambers/House/AssemblyMembers

As a reminder, here is the League’s policy position on this topic:

End of Life Options - Support for state laws that grant the option for a terminally ill person to request medical assistance from a relevant, licensed physician to end one’s life and that such legislation should include safeguards against abuse for the dying and/or medical personnel.

The bill before the Legislature conforms to the requirements of our policy.

Reasons to support this bill are many. For some, the issue revolves around the right to make one’s own decision about how to handle this most personal of circumstances. For others, this option hits home because of a personal or family situation. Another way to approach your Representative could be to share a video that tells a poignant Delaware-specific story. Here is that link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdScAz_ukys&t=133s

Whatever message feels right to you, we urge you to make the contact soon. And if you get a response, please let us know right away what the Representative’s view is so that future advocacy efforts can be targeted as appropriate.  

Let’s get this bill into law!

Linda Barnett, LWVDE Advocacy Corps Chairperson

Joann Hasse, LWVDE Chairperson for Health Care Public Policy Issues

Send your feedback to us at: advocacylwvde [at] gmail.com