Michigan Senators introduced a Death with Dignity legislative package, which would allow terminally ill patients the option to request and use prescribed medication to end their lives peacefully.
The legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 678-681 was introduced on Thursday (Nov. 9) by Senators Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.), Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), and Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe).
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If the bill is passed, Michigan will join 10 other states, including Washington D.C., that have expanded patients’ power to make decisions regarding their end-of-life care.
“So many of us share the painful experience of having witnessed a loved one suffer, knowing they could have benefitted from an expanded end-of-life care option,” said Sen. Cavanagh, lead sponsor of the bill package. “Patients deserve the trust and respect to make their own medical decisions, including the choice to determine their own timeline to end ongoing suffering during the oftentimes dark battle they face. The Death with Dignity Act honors the autonomy and dignity of every person, ensuring they maintain power in the entirety of their life. This is a compassionate policy that would provide Michiganders and their loved ones with peace of mind when facing terminal illness.”
The package has numerous regulations, safeguards, and considerations that ensure the policy’s safe practice, including determining that the patient is terminally ill with fewer than six months to live.
The package also ensures that the patient can make the voluntary decision to receive medical aid in dying, a minimum 15-day waiting period, access to insurance coverage in treatment and benefits in death, licensing requirements, limitations and protections for prescribing physicians, and criminal penalties for noncompliant physicians.
“We have all witnessed and supported a loved one facing a terminal illness,” said Sen. Hertel, Chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee. “This legislation has important safeguards while allowing an individual to make this difficult decision with their physician and family. With its passage, Michiganders will have access to this compassionate option that is available in other states.”
“Granting individuals the autonomy to choose dignified end-of-life care is not just an act of compassion but a testament to the value of personal freedom,” said Sen. Singh. “This legislation offers the solace of choice while also providing critical safeguards to ensure its application is safe and protects our most vulnerable patients.”
“All individuals have a fundamental right to dignity,” said Sen. Klinefelt. “This legislation will finally provide Michiganders facing terminal illness with the freedom they deserve to write the final chapter of their own story with grace. Whether they choose comfort care, hospice care, or pain management — this bill ensures that all options are accessible and respected.”