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Montana lawmakers hear hours of testimony on bill to codify medical aid in dying
Summary
Supporters, including hospice clinicians and civil liberties groups, say House Bill 637 provides needed safeguards and legal clarity for terminally ill patients and participating providers. Opponents — led by the lieutenant governor and disability advocates — warned of risks to vulnerable people and contested the legal basis of the bill post‑Baxter.
Representative Julie Darling, sponsor of House Bill 637, told the House Judiciary Committee she brought the Montana Patient and Physician Protections and Care Act to create a statutory framework allowing medical aid in dying for adults with terminal diagnoses who can self‑administer a prescribed medication.
HB 637 sets eligibility criteria including certification of a terminal condition, a prognosis of roughly six months to live, capacity to make an informed decision, a minimum 48‑hour waiting period before receiving a prescription, and witness and reporting requirements. The bill also creates an…
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