FAILED
in the State House of Representatives
on April 13, 2022, by a vote of
41-98
Purpose: The underlying purpose of S.74 is to remove barriers to medication for terminally ill individuals to kill themselves. Currently a patient must make two in-person requests to receive such medication. S.74 would allow that patient to make their request over video telemedicine.
The purpose of the Donahue Amendment to S.74 is provide a safeguard for terminally ill individuals, so that a broadly defined “health care providers” can more accurately determine if the individual does indeed want to undergo medical suicide of their own free will.
Analysis: Those voting YES believe eliminating the in-person requirement could make it much easier for those with authority over the individual to coerce the patient into ending their life before they would like to.
Those voting NO believe many terminally ill Vermonters are not well enough to visit a healthcare provider, making video telemedicine the logical option. This would allow more individuals to exercise their choose medical suicide.
As Recorded in the House Journal, Wednesday, April 13, 2022: “Pending the question, Shall the House propose to the Senate to amend the bill as offered by Rep. Donahue of Northfield?, Rep. Donahue of Northfield demanded the Yeas and Nays, which demand was sustained by the Constitutional number. The Clerk proceeded to call the roll and the question, Shall the House propose to the Senate to amend the bill as offered by Rep. Donahue of Northfield?, was decided in the negative. Yeas, 41. Nays, 98." (Read the Journal, p. 1030 - 32).
Watch the floor debate on YouTube.
Sally Achey (R - Middletown Springs) – YES |
Paul Lefebvre (R – Newark) – NO |
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