04-03-2025
‘Euthanasia pill' proposed as Nevada law after Gov. Lombardo's veto in 2023
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A bill to legalize a euthanasia pill designed to end a patient's life has been introduced at the Nevada Legislature after Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed a similar bill two years ago.
A patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal condition would be allowed to request medication to end their own life under certain conditions:
Patient must be at least 18 years old.
Patient has been diagnosed with a terminal condition by at least two practitioners.
Patient has made an informed and voluntary decision to end his or her own life.
Patient is mentally capable of making such a decision.
Patient is not requesting the medication because of coercion, deception or undue influence.
The proposal passed by a narrow margin in 2023, before it was eventually vetoed. Now, a Republican who voted against the bill is sponsoring the new version, Assembly Bill 346 (AB346). Republican Assem. Danielle Gallant and Democratic Assem. Joe Dalia are the bill's sponsors, along with co-sponsor Democratic Assem. Edgar Flores. All three of the sponsors represent areas in Southern Nevada.
The bill was referred to the Assembly Select Committee on End of Life Care today in Carson City. It has not been scheduled for a hearing yet.
Doctors and others involved in the patient's care are protected from prosecution or professional discipline under language of AB346, and given the right to refuse to prescribe the medication. But if they refuse, they are required to facilitate the transfer of the patent to another health care provider.
Medical professionals would dispense the euthanasia pill, but only the patient would be allowed to administer it.
Other sections of the law are written to ensure the death certificate states that the patient died of their terminal condition. 'A death resulting from the self-administration of a medication that is designed to end the life of a patient is not mercy killing, euthanasia, assisted suicide, suicide or homicide when done in accordance with the provisions of this bill.' It further prohibits insurance companies from refusing to honor insurance benefits based on the use of a euthanasia pill.
AB346 also states that the pill cannot be prescribed solely based on the patient's age or a disability.
Two years ago, Gov. Lombardo said in his veto message for the bill (Senate Bill 239 during the 2023 session):
'SB239 allows for physician assisted suicide in the State of Nevada. End of life decisions are never easy. Individuals and family members must often come together to face many challenges — including deciding what is the best course of medical treatment for a loved one. Fortunately, expansions in palliative care services and continued improvement in advanced pain management make the end-of-life provisions in SB239 unnecessary.'Given recent progress in science and medicine and the fact that only a small number of states and jurisdictions allow for similar end-of-life protocols, I am not comfortable supporting this bill.'
Before Lombardo's veto, that bill barely made it out of a Senate committee on a 3-2 vote, passed narrowly in the full Senate on an 11-10 vote, and passed the full Assembly 23-9.
A national group, Compassion & Choices, said in 2023 that Lombardo was the first governor to veto a medical-aid-in-dying bill.
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