During the 2024 legislative session, Democrat legislators are renewing their efforts to legalize assisted suicide in Minnesota through the ‘End-of-Life Options Act.’ This legislation, House File 1930/Senate File 1813, received a hearing in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee on Thursday, January 25, and the committee approved the bill on a party-line vote.

“Recently, my office has received a number of calls and emails from constituents who are concerned with efforts to legalize assisted suicide in our state,” said Senator Gary Dahms (R – Redwood Falls. “This is a very complex issue and one that we must approach with great caution. But be assured if this bill comes up in the Senate, it is a policy I will strongly oppose. Instead of passing legislation that diminishes the value of life, I believe we should be focusing on ways to care for and support the most vulnerable among us.”

There are currently 10 states, along with Washington, D.C., that allow medically assisted suicide. If this legislation becomes law, Minnesotans could request medical aid in dying medication provided certain requirements are met, including if the individual is:

• At least 18 years of age,
• Diagnosed with a terminal disease with a prognosis of no more than six months to live,
• Determined to be mentally capable as defined in statute, and
• Not subject to guardianship or conservatorship.

This legislation moved to the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. The bill has yet to be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Senator Dahms is in his fifth term representing Senate District 15 which includes communities in Blue Earth, Brown, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine counties. He also serves as the Republican Lead on the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee and is a member of the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee and Finance Committee.