SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Senate has moved to make the state’s assisted death law permanent. Senators also want to significantly shorten the time a terminally ill person must wait for a fatal dose of medication.
Nearly 2,000 people deemed to have six months or less to live have received a prescription since the law took effect in 2016.
Senators approved changes Friday to lift the law’s 2026 sunset date and make the drugs more accessible. Among other steps, the current minimum 15-day waiting period required between the time patients make separate oral requests for medication would be reduced to 48 hours.
The bill now goes to the state Assembly.
