Fatal Care, Death Upon Request

In June 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws banning physician-assisted suicide do not violate the Constitution, so states may decide whether it is constitutional for a physician to help an individual to die.

In August 2019, CNN reported that physician-assisted suicide is legal in nine1 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Meaning, physicians cannot be prosecuted for prescribing medication to hasten death for terminally ill patients whose life expectancy is six months.

Beware! Downward Steps To Fatal Care for Anyone

Step One: Legalize the practice for the terminally ill, but soften the moniker. Formally known as euthanasia, currently, it’s referenced as (a) physician-assisted death (PAD), (b) death with dignity, (c) aid in dying, (d) end of life option, (e) passive involuntary euthanasia, or (f) fatal care. Whatever its moniker, most of the nine states that have such laws allow government-approved licensed physicians to prescribe lethal drugs for patients to self-administer.

Step Two: From medical to psychiatric to “upon request.” In 2017 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) reported the expansion of euthanasia as follows: “People with non-terminal illnesses have been legally euthanized at their own request in several countries for nearly 15 years. This included certain eligible patients who have psychiatric disorders.”

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Session Begins January 13;
Pre-filing Bills Began November 15, 2019

 “During the period which begins on November 15 of each calendar year and ends on the Friday before the second Monday in January of the following calendar year, bills and resolutions considered for introduction in the General Assembly may be prefiled with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House as authorized in this Code section. Such measures may be so prefiled with the Secretary of the Senate by any one or more Senators who will be eligible to consider the measure when introduced. Such measures may be so prefiled with the Clerk of the House by any one or more Representatives who will be eligible to consider the measure when introduced. The prefiling of a measure shall not constitute the official introduction of a bill or resolution, and a bill or resolution may be officially introduced only during a legislative session.”
O.C.G.A. § 28-1-17(b), Enacted by Ga. L. 1994

Georgia law, O.C.G.A. §28-1-17 authorizes pre-filing bills, but specifies that the pre-filed bill’s author is not bound to officially introduce it. Also, the law states that pre-filed bills that are officially introduced may or may not be assigned to committees – House bills go into House committees, Senate bills into Senate committees.

Committee chairmen have the prerogative to consider or ignore any piece of legislation. However, legislation debated and passed by a committee is eligible for a House or Senate floor vote. Bills and resolutions that remain in committee are held into the second year of a two-year term, where they may be passed, defeated, or, finally, left to die in committee.

2020 is the second year of the current two-year legislative term. Last month’s newsletter reminded readers of four selected bills1 left in committee in 2019 and alive for action in 2020.

• To read more about the prefiled bills and rest of this newsletter in PDF format, please click here.