Massachusetts assisted suicide bills die a natural death.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

C

Massachusetts State House.

ongratulations to the many people who are working in coalition to defeat assisted suicide in Massachusetts. 

The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health decided to send assisted suicide bills H.1194, and companion bill S.1225 to a study committee, effectively causing the natural death of both bills for this legislative session.

Special mention goes to the disability rights groups,  Second Thoughts Massachusetts and Not Dead Yet and the Massachusetts Alliance Against Doctor-Prescribed Suicide.

John Kelly with Second Thoughts Massachusetts wrote a great article that was published in the Boston Globe explaining - Why the Massachusetts legislature must say NO to assisted suicide.

Massachusetts physicians were concerned that these assisted suicide bills would force them to "do or refer" for assisted suicide. A similar assisted suicide bill in Wisconsin, that also died a natural death, also contained a provision to force doctors to "do or refer" for assisted suicide. In May 2017, a Vermont court upheld physicians conscience rights after Vermont physicians were pressured to "do or refer" patients for assisted suicide.

The assisted suicide ballot measure was defeated in Massachusetts in November 2012.