DOVER, Del. – A bill that would allow terminally ill patients in Delaware to seek medical aid in dying advances out of the House Health and Human Development Committee on Wednesday.
House Bill 140, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison and Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, would permit mentally capable adults who have been given a prognosis of six months or less to live to request and self-administer medication to pass away.
The measure includes several safeguards, requiring both an attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse and a consulting physician or APRN to confirm the diagnosis, prognosis, and the patient’s decision-making capacity. Patients must submit a written request witnessed by at least two people, one of whom cannot be a family member or someone who stands to inherit from the individual’s estate.
“This legislation did not appear overnight, Representative Baumbach and the wonderful advocates he worked with spent the last 10 years meeting with stakeholders, educating the public and ensuring that HB 140 would be able to meet the needs of those it intended to serve, while also containing all of the necessary safeguards,” said Rep. Eric Morrison.
The bill mirrors a previous bill introduced by former Rep. Paul Baumbach, which passed both legislative chambers but was vetoed by Gov. John Carney in September 2024.
“Today the House Health Committee has declared an end to this government-mandated suffering. I look forward to the swift passage of HB 140 into law.” said recently retired Rep. Paul Baumbach, former prime sponsor of the bill.
The bill now moves to the House for a vote. If passed, Delaware would join 10 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing medical aid in dying.