End-of-Life Option Act (The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shane E. Pendergrass Act)

SB 926, the End-of-Life Option Act, allows terminally ill Maryland residents to request and self-administer physician-prescribed medication to end their life under specific conditions. It requires patients to have a confirmed terminal illness (with a prognosis of six months or less), undergo a mental health assessment, receive two physician confirmations (including a consulting physician), and make an informed decision with capacity to understand the process. The bill protects healthcare providers from criminal liability for participating in this process and clarifies that such deaths are deemed natural causes for insurance purposes. It also prohibits pharmacists from dispensing the medication except to qualified patients and ensures insurance policies cannot be denied based on this choice.