California's right-to-die bill has been passed in Senate last Friday, following the call of brain cancer victim Britanny Maynard to allow terminally ill patients to have physician-assisted suicide in the state of California.
In California's right-to-die bill, patients who are suffering from terminal diseases can avail of the aid-in-dying options if he or she has been given six months or less to live by at least two doctors.
The patient must also be assessed and declared as mentally capacitated at the time of deciding to avail of the said aid-in-dying options.
The right-t-die bill of California titled End-of-Life-Option Act, was passed after Maynard encouraged California legislators through a video message to give terminally ill patients like her the choice to end one's life.
The video was made weeks before her death November last year.
29-year-old Maynard moved to Oregon to have physican-assisted suicide after being diagnosed with brain cancer and told that she would only have months to live.
"Every terminally ill American deserves the choice to die with dignity," Maynard said. "Freedom from prolonged pain and suffering is a most basic human right."
According to Huffington Post, the right-to-die bill to be enacted in California depends on the decision of Gov. Jerry Brown, who is given until Oct. 11 to sign or veto the said legislation.
If signed into law, aid-in-dying options will be enacted in California next year.
However, it has been reported in the L.A. Times that Maynard had a telephone conversation with Brown about the issue.
The bill gathered contradictions not only from religious and medical leaders but cancer patients as well.
A mother of four from Colorado, Kara Tippet who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer expressed her disagreement in taking one's life.
In her blog post-cum-letter addressed to Maynard, she said "In choosing your own death, you are robbing those that love you with such tenderness, the opportunity of meeting you in your last moments and extending you love in your last breaths."
As of the moment, the aid-in-dying options and procedures are legal in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana.
