The Delaware legislature has narrowly passed a dangerous bill legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, despite strong opposition from medical and disability rights groups.

The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Matt Meyer, who has publicly expressed support for the measure.

The legislation, which allows mentally capable adults with a prognosis of six months or less to request and self-administer lethal medication, passed the House on March 18 with a 21-16 vote and cleared the Senate on June 24 by an 11-10 margin, mirroring its passage in 2024 before being vetoed by then-Gov. John Carney.

The bill faced fierce resistance from the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians, the Psychiatric Society of Delaware, and the Delaware Chapter of the American College of Physicians, alongside disability advocates and faith-based organizations.

Jessica Rodgers, coalitions director for the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, condemned the legislature’s decision, telling LifeNews, “The legislature chose to disregard the opposition of the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians, the Psychiatric Society of Delaware, and the Delaware Chapter of the American College of Physicians in their actions today, as well as countless other medical and disability rights organizations.”

ACTION ALERT: Contact Gov. Matt Meyer and urge him to veto the assisted suicide bill.

Critics argue the bill undermines medical ethics and risks coercion, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Ellen Barrosse, in an opinion piece for The Dialog, wrote, “Physician-assisted suicide sends a message to those who are disabled, elderly, or ill that their lives are not worth living. … Any law that encourages people to end their lives prematurely ignores the reality that prognoses are often wrong.

The Diocese of Wilmington, led by Bishop William E. Koenig, has also opposed the bill, citing the sanctity of life.

Disability advocates, like Daniese McMullin Powell, former chair of the State Council for Persons with Disabilities, warned that normalizing assisted suicide could pressure patients into feeling they have no other choice, stating, “When such laws take the stigma off of having assistance or even doing it yourself that it’s okay, it makes it more common.”

The bill’s fate now rests with Meyer, who has 10 days to act once it reaches his desk. If signed, Delaware would become the 11th state to authorize killing people in assisted suicides, joining states like Oregon and New Jersey. Opponents, including the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, are urging Delawareans to contact the governor to oppose the measure, emphasizing its potential to harm the elderly, disabled, and terminally ill.

ACTION ALERT: Contact Gov. Matt Meyer and urge him to veto the assisted suicide bill.

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