SB 88 Summary

• Establishes a medical aid in dying program allowing terminally ill Connecticut residents with 6 months or less to live to request self-administered medication through their physicians, effective October 1, 2022.

• Requires patients to submit two written requests at least 15 days apart, witnessed by two independent persons, and obtain confirmation from both attending and consulting physicians that the patient is competent and making an informed decision.

• Mandates psychiatric or psychological evaluation if either physician suspects depression or impaired judgment, and requires counseling to confirm the patient is not suffering from a condition affecting their judgment.

• Prohibits contracts, wills, and insurance policies from being conditioned on or affected by a patient's request for aid in dying, and specifies such actions do not constitute suicide, assisted suicide, euthanasia, or other criminal acts.

• Requires attending physicians to submit checklist forms within 30 days of prescribing medication and follow-up forms within 60 days of patient death to the Department of Public Health for compliance monitoring and annual reporting to the legislature.