Gov. Matt Meyer (D-DE) signed legislation on Tuesday legalizing medical aid-in-dying for terminal illnesses, making Delaware the 12th jurisdiction in the United States to authorize physician-assisted suicide. 

The new law allows for adults with “a terminal illness and a prognosis of 6 months or less to live” to explore physician-assisted suicide options. 

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A version of the bill was passed by the Delaware legislature in 2024 but vetoed by former Democratic Gov. John Carney. Carney said at the time that he did not “believe a firm consensus had been reached on what is a very difficult issue.” 

Meyer signaled during his campaign for the governorship in 2024 that he supported the concept of physician-assisted suicide, saying during a debate before the November election that people “should have a right to exercise their right to die.”

“This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms without unnecessary pain and surrounded by the people they love the most,” Meyer said at the signing, adding that the concept has been the subject of legislative debate in Delaware “for nearly a decade.”

The bill passed the Delaware Senate in April, following the failure of an amendment to the text requiring a psychiatrist or psychologist to evaluate the patient requesting assisted suicide. 

Democrats argued during Senate debate that it was sufficient that the statute would allow for the attending physician or registered nurse to request a psychology or psychiatry consult if they were concerned about the patient’s decision-making capacity. 

Medication to end a patient’s life can only be legally prescribed to a terminally ill patient after he or she makes two verbal and one written request. A guardian or surrogate cannot make the request on the patient’s behalf. 

The legislation also says “two waiting periods must pass” before the healthcare professional can prescribe medication to end a patient’s life, but it does not specify the required duration of each waiting period.

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said in a press statement that these safeguards built into Delaware’s new law and similar policies in other states are not enough to protect “the most vulnerable members of our society.”

“The horror of assisted suicide is that many of the most vulnerable in our society are pressured to ‘choose’ assisted suicide, which normalizes a culture of death, devaluing the lives of the disabled, elderly, and chronically ill,” Tobias said. 

Tobias added that legalization of medical aid-in-dying “creates a ‘duty to die’ mindset.” 

“End-of-life discussions should focus on palliative care, hospice, and support options,” Tobias said. “Assisted suicide shifts the focus from life-affirming care to premature death and erodes the public trust in healthcare and medical doctors.”

THE CORPORATE EXODUS FROM DELAWARE HAS BEGUN. CAN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR STOP IT?

Ten other states have legalized physician-assisted suicide, including California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, as well as Washington D.C.

Delaware’s new law will go into effect no later than Jan. 1, 2026.