Lawmakers in the the Michigan House of Representatives are considering a bill package that would legalize physician-assisted suicide.
House Democrats introduced House Bills 5825, 5826, 5827, and 5828, collectively called the “Death with Dignity Act.” The package would allow patients with a diagnosis of six months or less to live to request medication that would end their life.
To be eligible, patients must be adults, act voluntarily, and possess the mental capacity to make an informed decision without impairment from psychiatric conditions or depression.
Representative Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor) is a co-sponsor of the package. She said those with six months or less to live face uniquely difficult circumstances, and should be empowered to control how they die.
“What we're hoping for is to allow for the dignity of Michiganders to choose for themselves to accelerate that dying process and think about this as a way to help somebody take control over the final process of their life,” Rheingans said.
The package would also prevent insurers from denying or limiting coverage for those pursuing medical assistance in dying and implement strict penalties for physicians who coerce patients into requesting to end their lives or forge a request. Lastly, it would amend the state public health code to prevent disciplinary action against those following the act.
Representative Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods), who introduced part of the package, said her friend's husband was struggling with a terminal illness around the time of her election in 2022. She said the man encouraged her to pursue legalizing physician-assisted suicide.
“His life and death were his responsibility I believe, and he believed that too,” Paiz said. “Unfortunately the government told him how he has to endure what he endured and, for his death, he didn't have a choice.”
Right to Life of Michigan opposes the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. Genevieve Marnon, the organization’s legislative director, said that the burdens associated with taking care of a terminally ill family member will inevitably pressure some patients to choose to die even if it is not actually what they want.
“It becomes coercive in many cases, and the choice to die becomes a duty to die for many vulnerable patients,” Marnon said. “That's something that I don't think people recognize when they think of this as a public policy.”
The American Medical Association calls the practice “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer.”
The package was referred to the Republican-lead House Committee on Government Operations on April 21. Rheingans and Paiz said they not optimistic that it will pass this session, but hope to continue to raise awareness for the issue of physician-assisted suicide throughout the state. Similar legislation was introduced in the state Legislature in 2017 and 2023, but failed to advance.
Physician-assisted suicide is legal in 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. In Michigan, it is a felony.
