(Catholic Herald) – The Hawaii Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to advance a bill permitting physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Called the Medical Aid in Dying bill, SB 1129 passed with 22 votes in favour, three against. Two of the affirmative votes were cast “with reservations.”

The bill now goes to the state House of Representatives where it will be debated and voted on in committee before going before the full body. The proposed law would allow an adult Hawaii resident diagnosed with a terminal illness and determined to have six or fewer months to live, to request a prescription for a lethal dose of medication to be self-administered to end his or her life.

The legislation has prompted a vigorous and passionate public debate over the past few months as both advocates and opponents shared experiences of dying friends and relatives and their own illnesses. CONTINUE