Hawaii assisted suicide bill passes in two house committees,

Committee member complains that he never saw the amended text.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I have very bad news.  On February 28, the Judiciary Committee voted (7 - 1) and the Health and Human Services Committee voted (4 - 1) in support of Hawaii assisted suicide bill HB 2739.

• Not Dead Yet Testomony against Hawaii assisted suicide bill.

Nathan Eagle reporting for the Honolulu Civil Beat stated that Representative Bob McDermott, who voted No to the bill, was upset that he was expected to vote on the bill even though he was not given a copy of the amended bill. Eagle reported:

“I don’t know what we’re voting on,” he said as Nishimoto called for the vote.

Nishimoto said that given the time constraints, working on changes to the bill up until 15 minutes before the hearing started, he did not have an opportunity to give McDermott a copy.

“Pass it then read it,” a member of the public shouted out sarcastically.

They claim that the bill has greater "safeguards." Eagle reported:

Hawaii would be the first state to require counseling, Mizuno said. He added that the tele-health provision would help make it easier for residents in Hawaii to comply with the counseling requirement, recognizing that some live in rural areas far from doctors. 

The committees also lengthened the time the patient must wait between making two verbal requests for medically assisted death. Instead of 14 days, the amended version now calls for 20 days. One signed written request, witnessed by two people (one unrelated to the patient), is also required.

In 2017, the Hawaii Health Committee defeated assisted suicide bill SB 1129 (7 - 0), after the Committee members read the bill. Margaret Dore, from Choice is an Illusion, explained how the bill was a big fat fib.