HONOLULU (AP) — A bill to give terminally ill Hawaii residents medical help to end their lives has died.
The House Committee on Health decided not to advance the proposal Thursday.
Democratic Committee Chairwoman Della Au Bellati says the issue has divided the community. Some lawmakers say the bill is flawed and there isn’t enough time to fix it before the legislative session ends in May.
Hundreds testified for and against the measure. Supporters including cancer patients and those who saw loved ones suffer through drawn-out deaths say they want to have options to die peacefully.
Critics raised concerns that ill people might choose suicide to relieve family burdens or choose death when there’s a chance of survival.
Five states — California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and Washington — have laws allowing physician-assisted suicide.