California senator pushes 'death on demand' assisted suicide measure

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

A California Democrat is proposing an expansion to the state's assisted suicide law by eradicating its current requirement that eligible people must have only six months to live to qualify for assisted suicide. 

Senate Bill 1196, authored by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, would eliminate the "two provisions [the six-months-left-to-live and capacity requirements]," which "are needlessly excluding many Californians from accessing aid-in-dying medicine," according to a fact sheet from Blakespear's office. 

The controversial bill comes as 11 states, including California, already have assisted suicide laws. According to Blakespear's fact sheet of the bill, it would change the current legislative language, which states one must have a "terminal disease" in order to qualify for assisted suicide, to "a grievous and irremediable medical condition," including psychological suffering or an incurable disease.

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A child patient with an IV line in hand sleeps on a hospital bed.  (iStock)

Blakespear said SB 1196 "is to provide those nearing their end-of-life with medical autonomy that best suits their needs — not mine or yours, but their specific needs during this personal moment."

"It is my intention with SB 1196 to ensure we provide patients more autonomy over their medical care and allow treatment that works best for them," Blakespear said in March. "People with a terminal, incurable illness or disease have the right to determine what is best for their health and how they leave this existence. No person should have to suffer as they near end of life, and they should have the right to leave peacefully, on their terms. SB 1196 is about having choice, which we all deserve when deciding on our own medical care."

The bill would also expand the aid-in-dying medication to those with early to mid-stage dementia, the fact sheet states, and remove the 48-hour waiting barrier between a request for assisted suicide and the patient's California residency approval.

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A man lays on a gurney in hospital hallway. (iStock)

Proponents claim denying mentally ill people access to the same humane option to end their suffering amounts to discrimination. But opponents of the bill argue it is immoral to help people commit suicide. Jonathan Keller, president of the California Family Council, a Christian nonprofit policy think tank, told Fox News Digital on Monday the bill "transforms despair into a policy of death on demand."

"Broadening the criteria for assisted suicide far beyond terminal illness represents a dangerous departure from the already inadequate safeguards," Keller said. "California continues to devalue the inherent worth of every individual and disregards the profound moral, ethical, and societal implications of legalized euthanasia."

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An aerial view of the California State Capitol on Feb. 1, 2023 in Sacramento, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Justin Sullivan)

In February, Colorado Democrats introduced similar legislation that would allow non-residents to access medically assisted suicide.

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The legislation, titled "Medical Aid-in-Dying," would also dramatically reduce other barriers to accessing assisted suicide. In addition to allowing out-of-state access, the bill would allow advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe medication for assisted suicide, rather than just physicians.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.