Governor Brown Signs AB 282 Into Law

In August, the California legislature passed AB 282 sending it to Jerry Brown’s desk. The California Senate rushed AB 282 through on the first day that the legislature returned from recess. The bill legalizes aiding, advising, or encouraging assisted suicide.

Yesterday, September 20th, Governor Jerry Brown officially signed AB 282 into law. 

This new now official California law says that it is legal to advise, encourage, or aid someone who is having suicidal thoughts to go through with them, if the person experiencing these suicidal thoughts has been declared to be terminally ill by doctors.

According to Lifenews, “the law defines ‘terminal’ as a condition expected to lead to death within six months if left untreated.

This means diabetes, high blood pressure, treatable conditions-even an infection-could be considered “terminal.”

Life Legal challenged California’s Assisted Suicide law and AB 282 was introduced as a result. Lifenews reported earlier this year that “California’s assisted suicide law allows “interested” witnesses, which include beneficiaries, to sign a person’s request for assisted suicide drugs. The new law—assisted suicide on steroids—allows an individual to aid, advise, and encourage a person to commit suicide—AND sign off on the method of suicide—while financially benefitting from the person’s death.”

California’s new assisted suicide law is dangerous. It is unethical. It should never be legal to allow family members to encourage their terminal family member’s death when doing so would mean a financial profit for them. Sadly,  that is now legal.