Details on State Euthanasia Laws

Euthanasia laws are sometimes referred to as “physician-assisted suicide” or “right-to-die” laws. Oregon is the only state which explicitly allows for physician-assisted suicide of the terminally ill. Several other states have considered statutes similar to Oregon’s.

In the “Euthanasia” state laws chart, you will find a citation to the relevant state code section on euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. The chart also indicates whether mercy killing or euthanasia is specifically condoned in the state’s laws, and identifies the legal effect (i.e. criminalization) of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining medical procedures.