(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) joined a coalition of lawmakers to reintroduce legislation regarding the End of Life Option Act in the Assembly Extraordinary Session. Modeled after the original legislation known as Senate Bill (SB) 128, this bill AB X2-15, authored by Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes-Eggman, Assemblyman Luis Alejo and Assemblyman Mark Stone will continue the effort to pass an aid-in-dying reform this year, citing the urgency of the issue and its overwhelming support among Californians.
“We owe this to all Californians who are suffering from terminal illnesses,” Senator Wolk said. “We owe it to their families. It is our responsibility as a legislative body to act.”
The bill’s introduction follows two recent Superior Court rulings that have underlined that it is the role of the State Legislature to take action on this issue. In his dismissal in late July of a challenge to the state’s ban on aid-in-dying filed by three terminally-ill Californians, including Christy O’Donnell, who has been an advocate of the End of Life Option Act, a Superior Court judge said that it is the responsibility of the legislature, not the courts, to change the law.
“Californians cannot wait any longer,” Sen. Monning said. “Almost seven out of 10 state residents agree that people should have the option to reduce suffering by taking aid-in-dying medication, and it is a disservice to these individuals and their families not to take action now.”
The new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) X2-15 is authored by Susan Talamantes-Eggman (D-Stockton) and coauthored by the authors of SB 128, Senators Wolk and Bill Monning (D-Carmel). AB X2-15 is based on the careful and thoughtful language that was being worked on by all three Senators on this issue. If passed, it will allow mentally-competent, terminally-ill adults the option to request a doctor’s prescription for aid-in-dying drugs to painlessly and peacefully shorten their dying process.
The nonprofit organization, Compassion and Choices, has already declared that they will fund a statewide initiative campaign to enact the provisions through a public vote.
“We will not wait for a ballot measure,” Eggman said. “There are people right now who are facing a terminal diagnosis, watching this fight, praying for our success and hoping to be able to take control of their lives through these reforms. They don’t have another year to wait; they are counting on this bill, this year.”
“Every day, terminally ill Californians are suffering needlessly,” said Wolk. “Californians are asking for the option to die with dignity and compassion, and I believe they have waited long enough. They must be allowed to die with dignity and compassion. ”
