SB 128 Summary: End of Life Option Act

• Authorizes terminally ill adults in California with a terminal disease (incurable, irreversible, expected to result in death within 6 months) to request a prescription for an aid-in-dying drug they can self-administer to end their life.

• Requires multiple safeguards: two oral requests at least 15 days apart, one written request signed by two witnesses, evaluation by attending and consulting physicians, mental health assessment if indicated, and documentation that the individual has capacity to make medical decisions and is acting voluntarily without coercion.

• Prohibits life insurance, health insurance, annuity policies, or health care contracts from being conditioned on or affected by a person's request for the aid-in-dying drug, and restricts insurance carriers from initiating communications about aid-in-dying drug availability.

• Provides immunity from civil, criminal, and professional liability for health care providers who participate in good faith compliance, while making participation voluntary and allowing providers to refuse to participate for conscience, moral, or ethical reasons.

• Establishes felony penalties for knowingly altering, forging, or coercing requests for aid-in-dying drugs, and requires the State Public Health Officer to collect and report annually on utilization data while protecting patient privacy.