Legislation proposing amendments to aid-in-dying law stalls
Legislation that aimed to amend Hawaii’s aid-in-dying law passed through the state Senate earlier this month but failed to gain traction in the House.
Enacted in 2019, the Our Care, Our Choice Act allows Hawaii residents 18 older who are diagnosed with a terminal illness and have a prognosis of six months or less to live to obtain an aid-in-dying prescription after two separate verbal requests to a physician, a written request with two witnesses and a mental health evaluation to ensure they are capable of making medical decisions for themselves.
Senate Bill 839 sought to permit advanced practice register nurses, or APRNs, to be attending or consulting providers and add psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists to those who could provide counseling consultations.
