Senate adds conscience clause to aid-in-dying law

By Daniel J. Chacón dchacon@sfnewmexican.com
Mar 9, 2023 Updated 49 min ago 2

A bill the Senate passed Thursday eliminates any repercussions against doctors, nurses and other health care providers who refuse to participate in New Mexico's medical aid-in-dying law for reasons of conscience.

"This bill simply acknowledges and affirms the right of individuals to object on conscientious reasons to participate in any medical aid in dying, including the refusal to provide information on medical aid in dying to a patient and refusing to refer a patient to someone else willing to assist the patient," one of the sponsors of Senate Bill 471, Sen. Joe Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, said.

The proposed amendment to the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act, a 2021 law that allows terminally ill patients who are of sound mind to take their own lives with the aid of a physician, comes about a year after a Santa Fe doctor and a national association of Christian physicians and health care professionals sued the state over it.

The lawsuit alleges the End-of-Life Options Act as currently written violates the doctors' First Amendment and other constitutional rights.

"The Act does not define the word 'participate,' requires conscientious objectors to facilitate suicide in material ways, and expressly prohibits professional associations like [the Christian Medical & Dental Associations] from taking action to ensure that their members advance — rather than undermine — their mission and message," the lawsuit states.

More:
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/senate-adds-conscience-clause-to-aid-in-dying-law/article_4ae05bf6-be8e-11ed-97e5-6bbc71777d9b.html