State Advocacy at Compassion & Choices

Compassion & Choices works with state House and Senate lawmakers to improve end-of-life care by supporting legislation that allows people to be the primary deciders in their end-of-life care.

Find the Latest Updates in Your State

Use the dropdown button below to find updates, resources, and opportunities to get involved in your state.

Medical Aid in Dying State Advocacy

Compassion & Choices is leading efforts to authorize, implement and defend medical aid in dying in each state so all terminally ill people who are eligible will have access to the full range of end-of-life care options. 

Medical aid in dying is authorized in 11 jurisdictions: California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

2023 Legislative Highlights

• Allowing advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to practice medical aid in dying (Hawai‘i & Washington).
• Reducing the waiting period or allowing it to be waived (Hawai‘i, New Jersey and Vermont).
• Eliminating the residency requirement (Oregon and Vermont).
• Improving transparency (Washington).

Legislative Action Alerts

Medical Aid In Dying In Brief - week ending September 15, 2023.

Federal

• September 12, Compassion & Choices staff participated in an all-day listening session sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for comments from healthcare practitioners, experts, advocates, patients and other members of the public to inform the DEA’s regulations on prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine, and end-of-life care was mentioned prominently.