
The House Judiciary Committee in Rhode Island is set to consider a bill on Tuesday that would give terminally ill patients the right to end their own lives. The legislation, named after former Senator Lila Sapinsley, would allow adults who are terminally ill to request a prescription from their physician that they can self-administer to hasten their death. The process would require the patient to make two documented requests, 15 days apart, including a written request with two witnesses present. The bill also requires a second medical opinion, referral to end-of-life services, and confirmation that the patient doesn’t have impaired judgment. Doctors, nurses, and others providing the prescription would be subject to criminal or civil penalties.