On Thursday, March 13, HB 410 a bill asking the NC Institute of Medicine to examine 17 listed queries and report back to the General Assembly was introduced with bipartisan support among the primary sponsors and 16 co-sponsors. The Bill is similar to one introduced in 2023, HB877 which unfortunatley did not proceed to hearings. However, given an ever increasing demand among the public for progress on Assisted Dying legislation, given that the GOP party platform has removed its prior opposition to MAID and given press coverage of the bill, we are hopeful we will see meaningful progress this year.
The primary sponsors were Hon Donny Lambeth (R-75); Hon Julia Howard (R-77); Hon Pricey Harrison (D-61) and Hon Lindsay Prather (D-115) . In 2023 HB877 was joined by 10 co-sponsors. HB410 attracted 15 Democratic co-sponsors and 1 GOP co-sponsor.
It is important to note that this bill does NOT call for enactment of MAID. Rather, it asks the Institute of Medicine to study the pros and cons, to review the cumulative data of the 11 US jurisdictions which have authorised MAID to measure the success of the laws in achieving its objectives, and to review the important balance between safety and accessiblity.
While DRNC would have preferred a bill which calls for enactment of MAID, we recognise there are many legislators in the Republican majority with reservations on this end-of-life option. Hopefully, a comprehensive study by a respected neutral institution will provide comfort to those with questions that MAID laws provide a net benefit to the residents of states where authorised.
DRNC was also gratified that this bill attrated media attention.
