Physician Aid in Dying Through Legislation: The Vermont Experience

In Minneapolis, on Friday, September 12, the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics hosts Vermont Senator Claire Ayer.  She will present “Physician Aid in Dying Through Legislation: The Vermont Experience.”



In 2013, Vermont became the first eastern state to allow for Physician Aid in Dying (PAD). Of equal or perhaps greater significance, Vermont also became the first state in the country to enact PAD through the legislative process. 



Senator Ayer, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, spearheaded the measure’s passage. In so doing, she and others overcame numerous procedural and substantive challenges from her peers, the press, and the public. Interestingly, challenges came from both those who wanted more governmental protections and oversight and from those who opposed any government involvement in the doctor patient relationship. The final measure was signed by the Governor on May 20, 2013 and managed to address, at least in part, both concerns.