Compassion & Choices (2025)
20 May 2025
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer today signed the Ron Silverio/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act into law in a public signing ceremony, ending a decade of dedicated advocacy led by Compassion & Choices Action Network and fulfilling his September 2024 promise to authorize the option of medical aid in dying for terminally ill Delawareans.
The new law will grant a terminally ill, mentally capable adult with six months or less to live the option to request a prescription from their healthcare provider for medication they can choose to self-ingest and die on their own terms. Delaware is the 12th U.S. jurisdiction to authorize medical aid in dying (10 other states plus Washington, D.C.) and the first to do so since New Mexico in April 2021. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026 or once the final regulations are formed to support the law, whichever is sooner.
“Today I’m going to sign a bill that speaks to compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice,” said Governor Meyer in an emotional speech before the signing. “This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most.”
Here is a brief summary.
On May 20, 2025, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed the Ron Silverio/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act into law, making Delaware the 12th U.S. jurisdiction to authorize medical aid in dying. This legislation allows mentally capable adults diagnosed with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less to request a prescription for medication they can choose to self-administer to end their lives peacefully.
Key Provisions:
Eligibility Criteria: Patients must be at least 18 years old, residents of Delaware, diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less, mentally capable of making healthcare decisions, and able to self-ingest the prescribed medication.
Compassion & Choices
Safeguards: The law includes multiple safeguards, such as requiring two healthcare providers to confirm the diagnosis and prognosis, two waiting periods, and ensuring that patients are informed about all end-of-life care options, including palliative care and hospice.
The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, or upon the completion of necessary regulations, whichever comes first.
States & districts permitting MAiD.
Oregon (1997); Washington (2008); Montana (2009) – Legalized through a state Supreme Court ruling;
Vermont (2013); California (2015); Colorado (2016); District of Columbia (2017); Hawai‘i (2018); New Jersey (2019); Maine (2019); New Mexico (2021); Delaware (2025)
