(LANSING) - Michigan House Democrats have introduced legislation that would allow certain terminally ill adults to request life-ending medication under a proposed "Death with Dignity Act."
The bill package would permit physician-assisted death for eligible patients diagnosed with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less.
Under the proposal, two licensed physicians would have to confirm the diagnosis and prognosis. Patients would also have to be mentally competent adults and would be required to self-administer any prescribed medication. Requests would need to be witnessed by two individuals, including at least one person who is not related to the patient and does not stand to inherit from the patient's estate. Patients could revoke their request at any time.
Supporters say the legislation would give terminally ill patients additional end-of-life options. Opponents have raised concerns about medical ethics, oversight and the role of physicians in the process.
The proposal has been referred to the House Government Operations Committee.
The issue has a long history in Michigan. In 1998, voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have allowed terminally ill adults to obtain lethal prescriptions. Michigan was also the home state of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, whose assisted-suicide cases drew national attention in the 1990s.
Supporters of the legislation note that more than a dozen states have adopted some form of medical aid-in-dying law, while opponents argue such measures create ethical concerns and could affect end-of-life care practices.
The legislation's future remains uncertain, with Republican lawmakers expressing skepticism about advancing the proposal.