This bill would allow federal funds to be used to support medical aid-in-dying programs in states where they are legal. Currently, a 1997 federal law prohibits federal money from being used for assisted suicide, which has prevented veterans and other federal beneficiaries from accessing end-of-life medications in the 11 states and jurisdictions that permit the practice, including Oregon, California, Colorado, and Hawaii. The bill clarifies that medical aid-in-dying is not suicide but rather a legal medical option for terminally ill adults with less than six months to live who request medication to end their suffering. Starting January 1, 2025, the bill would remove the federal funding restriction for states that have adopted medical aid-in-dying laws, allowing federal programs to provide information, referrals, guidance, and medical care consistent with those state laws. This change would primarily affect eligible veterans, Medicare beneficiaries, and other federal program participants in the jurisdictions that have legalized medical aid-in-dying.
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