Georgia 'Death with Dignity Act' introduced to state senate
ATLANTA (WTGS) — Two Georgia state Senators have introduced a bill to the state senate that would give patients dealing with a terminal illness the choice to end their lives with the help of a doctor.
Senate Bill 291, known as the "Georgia Death with Dignity Act," would allow patients who have six months or less to live to end their life with an attending physician's prescription to "medical aid-in-dying medication."
The attending physician must make sure the patient is also mentally capable, is making an informed decision, and has made the request to voluntarily end their life.
The patient then must be referred to another physician to confirm the diagnosis and assess their mental well-being.
Currently in the state of Georgia, physicians are not legally allowed to assist a patient who wishes to end their life. Physicians who do can end up in prison.
This is not the first bill of its kind in the United States. An Indiana bill would also allow terminally ill patients to make the call to end their life.
The Governor of Maine passed a similar bill last summer.
