HB 2218 Summary

• Establishes a new chapter creating the legal right for terminally ill adults to request and access voluntary assisted dying (VAD) through self-administration or physician administration of a controlled substance.

• Requires eligibility criteria including: age 18+, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, 12+ months Hawaii residency, decision-making capacity, incurable disease expected to cause death within six months, and voluntary request without coercion.

• Mandates a multi-step process including preliminary request to physician, first assessment, second assessment by different physician, written declaration with two witnesses, final request, and final review before Director approval of VAD permit.

• Authorizes two types of permits: self-administration permit (person self-administers controlled substance) and physician administration permit (physician administers substance to person physically incapable of self-administration).

• Establishes criminal penalties for violations including class C felonies for unauthorized administration, misdemeanors for inducing requests or falsifying forms, and provides liability protections for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists acting in compliance with the chapter; effective July 1, 2019.