HB 5417 Summary: End-of-Life Care

• Allows mentally competent adults with terminal illnesses (expected to cause death within 6 months) who are Connecticut residents to request medication from physicians that they may self-administer to end their lives.

• Requires two written requests at least 15 days apart, witnessed by two unrelated persons with no financial interest in the patient's estate, and confirmation by both an attending and consulting physician that the patient is competent and acting voluntarily.

• Mandates psychiatric or psychological evaluation if either physician suspects the patient suffers from depression or other mental disorders impairing judgment before medication can be dispensed or prescribed.

• Prohibits coercion, forgery, or undue influence in requests; classifies unauthorized possession or sale of the medication as a class D felony; bars inheritance by physicians or witnesses involved in the process.

• Permits health care providers and facilities to decline participation but requires transfer of medical records to requesting patients; provides liability protections for good-faith compliance with the law.