The bill allows physicians to prescribe medication to end a patient’s life if the patient has only six months left to live and is mentally competent.
The council decided to place the bill on its legislative agenda at the start of next month, when it will hold the first of two required votes on the measure, according to the report.
If the bill is approved, Washington, D.C., would be the sixth jurisdiction to legalize physician-assisted suicide, reports The Washington Post. Supporters of the practice contend the measure would allow terminally ill patients to choose when and how they die and to avoid prolonged suffering, according to the article. But opponents argue the practice violates their religious beliefs, advocates for the disabled who fear people will be steered to premature death and medical professionals who believe it violates the Hippocratic oath, the report states.
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