{"id":3216,"date":"2025-05-20T20:55:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T20:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/?p=3216"},"modified":"2025-05-27T23:30:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T23:30:44","slug":"delaware-becomes-12th-u-s-jurisdiction-to-authorize-medical-aid-in-dying-first-since-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/delaware-becomes-12th-u-s-jurisdiction-to-authorize-medical-aid-in-dying-first-since-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Delaware Becomes 12th U.S. Jurisdiction to Authorize Medical Aid in Dying, First Since 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delaware Gov. Signs Widely-Supported Medical Aid-in-Dying Bill Into Law in Public Ceremony After Decade of Advocacy Led by Compassion & Choices<\/strong><\/p>\n

(DOVER, Del. – May 20, 2025) Delaware\u00a0Governor Matt Meyer<\/strong>\u00a0today signed<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0Ron Silverio\/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0into law in a public signing ceremony, ending a decade of dedicated advocacy led by\u00a0Compassion & Choices Action Network<\/strong>\u00a0and fulfilling his\u00a0September 2024 promise<\/a>\u00a0to authorize the option of medical aid in dying for terminally ill Delawareans.<\/p>\n

The new law will grant a terminally ill, mentally capable adult with six months or less to live the option to request a prescription from their healthcare provider for medication they can choose to self-ingest and die on their own terms. Delaware is the 12th U.S. jurisdiction to authorize medical aid in dying (10 other states plus Washington, D.C.<\/a>) and the first to do so since\u00a0New Mexico<\/a>\u00a0in April 2021. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026 or once the final regulations are formed to support the law, whichever is sooner.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday I\u2019m going to sign a bill that speaks to compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice,\u201d said Governor Meyer in an emotional speech before the signing. \u201cThis signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Governor Meyer signs the Ron Silverio\/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act into law surrounded by advocates and legislative champions on May 20.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBy signing the\u00a0Delaware End-of-Life Options Act<\/strong>\u00a0into law,\u00a0Governor Meyer<\/strong>\u00a0demonstrates profound compassion and leadership, recognizing the courageous decade-long advocacy of\u00a0Ron Silverio<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Heather Block<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Tom LaFollette<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Chuck Knothe<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Diane Kraus<\/strong><\/a>, and countless other terminally ill advocates who fought tirelessly for their right to die peacefully on their own terms,\u201d said\u00a0Kevin D\u00edaz<\/strong>, Interim President\/CEO for\u00a0Compassion & Choices<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Compassion & Choices Action Network<\/strong>. \u201cDelaware\u00a0voters<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0physicians<\/a>\u00a0overwhelmingly support this critical legislation, as does the rest of the nation.\u00a0Compassion & Choices\u00a0<\/strong>remains committed to expanding access and ensuring all terminally ill individuals have the compassionate end-of-life care options they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis momentous day is the culmination of over 10 years of tireless work in Delaware by\u00a0Compassion & Choices Action Network<\/strong>\u00a0and the dynamic coalition of supporters we built, including volunteers, terminally ill advocates, medical professionals, legislative champions, and supporters from all walks of life,\u201d said\u00a0Tim Appleton<\/strong>, Delaware senior campaign director for\u00a0Compassion & Choices Action Network,\u00a0<\/strong>who has worked on the campaign since the beginning. \u201cWe could not have done it without the steadfast leadership of\u00a0Rep. Eric Morrison<\/strong>, former\u00a0Rep. Paul Baumbach<\/strong>\u00a0for many years before,\u00a0Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend<\/strong>, and the unwavering advocacy of terminally ill Delawareans, some of whom gave their last days advocating for this compassionate end-of-life care option.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank\u00a0Governor Meyer<\/strong>\u00a0for doing what our former Governor refused to do: to listen to our residents and honor the wishes of terminally ill Delawareans,\u201d said former State Representative\u00a0Paul Baumbach<\/strong>, who originally introduced HB 140 to the state legislature in 2015 and carried it until his retirement in 2024. \u201cAfter a decade, I am so grateful to see the compassionate option of medical aid in dying available in Delaware, and I am honored to have contributed to its passage.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a speech before the public signing of the bill,\u00a0Baumbach<\/strong>\u00a0recognized the support\u00a0Compassion & Choices Action Network\u00a0<\/strong>provided along the way, specifically recognizing\u00a0Tim Appleton<\/strong>, Delaware Senior Campaign Director, and\u00a0Heather Pope<\/strong>, Delaware Campaign Manager. \u201cThere is no way\u00a0 that I could have maintained this effort with this bill and made sure that it was right without\u00a0Compassion & Choices<\/strong>\u00a0and without those individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dMany of us have witnessed how terrible the end of life can be, as my mother did working as a hospital registration clerk for 32 years. Then, she herself suffered terribly during her final six months of life,\u201d said lead sponsor\u00a0Rep. Eric Morrison<\/strong>, who was named as\u00a0one of Delaware\u2019s most influential people in healthcare in 2025<\/a>\u00a0because of his work on HB 140. \u201cI am proud and humbled to have led this bill into law, in collaboration with\u00a0Sen. Townsend<\/strong>, our supportive colleagues in the House and Senate, and\u00a0Gov. Meyer,<\/strong>\u00a0so that all terminally ill Delawareans have the option to die on their own terms with as little suffering as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to this signing today, all Delawareans can now have merciful deaths and leave life-affirming legacies,\u201d said longtime\u00a0Wilmington<\/strong>\u00a0advocate\u00a0Judy Govatos<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0who has incurable lymphoma, during the signing ceremony. \u201cThere are no losers here with this bill. Delawareans with six months or less to live can choose to fight for their lives to their very last breath, and those of us who prefer a more peaceful death can request a prescription that will ease our last breath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, Govatos also shared that today is her 81st birthday, and \u201cas a person whose cancer has recently recurred for the third time, this is the best birthday present ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Judy Govatos (left) and Susan Lahaie and Kevin D\u00edaz,\u00a0 President\/CEO for Compassion & Choices\/Compassion & Choices Action Network, holding a framed photo of her husband Ron Silverio (right) during Governor Meyer\u2019s public signing ceremony on May 20.<\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Delaware End-of-Life Options Act<\/strong>\u00a0is named in honor of two dedicated Delaware advocates,\u00a0Dover<\/strong>\u00a0resident\u00a0Ron Silverio<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Lewes<\/strong>\u00a0resident\u00a0<\/strong>Heather Block<\/strong><\/a>, both of whom died in 2018 without the option of medical aid in dying they fought for.<\/p>\n

Silverio<\/strong>\u2019s\u00a0 wife\u00a0Susan Lahaie<\/strong>, a retired\u00a0Dover<\/strong>\u00a0nurse practitioner,\u00a0 has continued to advocate in his honor, and spoke during the signing ceremony today.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur family is so proud to have this bill named, in part, for my husband Ron,\u201d said Lahaie. \u201cRon would have said that terminally ill people of Delaware can now focus on living without having to worry so much about how they were going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so grateful to former lead sponsor\u00a0Paul Baumbach<\/strong>\u00a0and the many others who never gave up on getting this bill passed,\u201d Lahaie said in a statement to\u00a0Compassion & Choices<\/strong>. \u201cRon would be honored, as is our family, of the legacy he has left for the terminally ill people of Delaware.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Compassion & Choices Action Network staff, including Heather Pope, Delaware Campaign Manager (center), Tim Appleton, Delaware Senior Campaign Manager (upper right), and Charmaine Manansala, Chief Advocacy Officer (bottom right) gather with Team Delaware advocates at Legislative Hall in Dover on April 17 following the Senate floor vote on HB 140.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Compassion & Choices Action Network<\/strong>\u00a0and its volunteers have worked tirelessly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, earning HB 140 the most sponsors and cosponsors (18) since its\u00a0original introduction in 2015<\/a>. The Senate\u00a0voted 11-8<\/a>\u00a0to pass the\u00a0Ron Silverio\/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act<\/strong>\u00a0in April, following the\u00a0House\u2019s passage<\/a>\u00a0of the bill in a 21-17 bipartisan vote in March. Notably, the bill passed the Delaware General Assembly for the first time in\u00a0June 2024<\/a>, but former Governor Carney\u00a0vetoed it in September 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The law features\u00a0numerous safeguards<\/a>\u00a0in line with other U.S. jurisdictions, including a requirement that two healthcare providers certify that a person requesting medical aid in dying has a prognosis of six months or less to live, and makes it a crime to coerce a terminally ill person into using this end-of-life option.<\/p>\n

Medical aid in dying is authorized in 10 other states and Washington, D.C.<\/a>, representing\u00a0more than one out of five U.S. residents<\/a>. Oregon was the first state to implement the medical practice\u00a0over 25 years ago in 1997<\/a>. For more information and frequently asked questions about medical aid in dying, visit:\u00a0compassionandchoices.org\/resource\/frequently-asked-questions<\/a><\/p>\n

About Compassion & Choices\/Compassion & Choices Action Network<\/strong><\/p>\n

Compassion & Choices comprises two organizations that improve care and expand options at life\u2019s end: Compassion & Choices (501(c)(3)) educates, empowers, defends, and advocates; the Compassion & Choices Action Network (501(c)(4)) focuses exclusively on legislation, ballot campaigns, and limited electoral work.\u00a0<\/em>CompassionAndChoices.org\/Delaware<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Paid for by Compassion & Choices Action Network.<\/em><\/p>\n

###<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spanish Language Media Contact<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>Patricia A. Gonz\u00e1lez-Portillo, (323) 819-0310,\u00a0PPortillo@CompassionandChoices.org<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Delaware Gov. Signs Widely-Supported Medical Aid-in-Dying Bill Into Law in Public Ceremony After Decade of Advocacy Led by Compassion & Choices (DOVER, Del. – May 20, 2025) Delaware\u00a0Governor Matt Meyer\u00a0today signed\u00a0the\u00a0Ron Silverio\/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act\u00a0into law in a public signing ceremony, ending a decade of dedicated advocacy led by\u00a0Compassion & Choices Action Network\u00a0and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":3217,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[939,1391,1385,1387,1398,1386,1392,1400,827,728,1382,994,1389,1396,1383,1395,1393,1388,1384,1399,1394,1390,1397],"class_list":["post-3216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colaboraciones","tag-geovannyvicenteromero","tag-chuck-knothe","tag-compassion-choices-action-network","tag-delaware","tag-delaware-end-of-life-options-act","tag-delaware-is-the-12th-u-s-jurisdiction-to-authorize-medical-aid-in-dying","tag-diane-kraus","tag-dover","tag-geovanny-vicente-romero-youtube","tag-geovanny-vicente-romero-2","tag-governor-matt-meyer","tag-gvr-geovanny-vicente-romero","tag-heather-block","tag-heather-pope","tag-matt-meyer","tag-paul-baumbach","tag-rep-eric-morrison","tag-ron-silverio","tag-ron-silverio-heather-block-delaware-end-of-life-options-act","tag-susan-lahaie","tag-tim-appleton","tag-tom-lafollette","tag-wilmington"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/87"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3216"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3218,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3216\/revisions\/3218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geovannyvicente.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}