Bill Legalizes Assisted Suicide In Minnesota

ST. PAUL, MN — A bill introduced in the Minnesota Legislature by Democrats would legalize physician-assisted suicide for people with a terminal disease. The bill is modeled after Oregon's "Death with Dignity" act, which was passed in 1997.

Under the bill, in order for a patient to qualify for assisted suicide, they must:

• Be 18 or older
• Receive a prognosis of six months or less due to a terminal illness
• Be capable of giving informed consent and making their own medical decisions
• Be acting of their own free will
  • People with dementia or other cognitive disorders would not qualify
• No person can qualify "solely because of advanced age or disability"

Many organizations in healthcare oppose assisted suicide, For example, the American Nurses Association says that "nurses are ethically prohibited from administering medical aid in dying medication."

No medical professional or clinic will be required to provide assisted suicide if they do not want to, according to the bill's chief author, Rep. Mike Freiberg.

Advocates say assisted sucide can prevent unncessary pain for the terminally ill and gives people agency and personal liberty at the end of their life.

Opponents say assisted suicide laws have not been shown effective for improving healthcare quality and only increases suicide contagion and the risks for abuse and coercion.