DOVER — The Delaware General Assembly will not hold a special session to attempt an override of Gov. John Carney’s veto of the hotly debated medical aid-in-dying bill.
The announcement was made Friday by Speaker of the House Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, who noted that, while she remains fully supportive of House Bill 140, the necessary votes to override the veto are not present in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
“I know this is not the outcome many of us had hoped for — especially the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Paul Baumbach, and the advocates who have dedicated more than a decade to seeing this legislation through,” Rep. Longhurst said in a statement.
“However, I’m optimistic that the 153rd General Assembly will be able to build on the progress made this year and ultimately see this policy become law in 2025.”
Under the measure, terminally ill Delawareans would be allowed to request and self-administer medication to end their lives in a “humane and dignified” way.
To receive the medication, each of the patient’s attending physicians or attending advanced-practice registered nurses, as well as a consulting physician or qualified nurse practitioner, must agree on his or her diagnosis and prognosis, and believe that he or she has decision-making capacity, is making an informed decision and is acting voluntarily.