Prohibit consent as a defense for physician assisted suicide

This bill prohibits physicians from using a patient's consent as a legal defense against homicide charges if they prescribe lethal medication for physician aid in dying. It directly affects doctors who might prescribe such medication and patients seeking end-of-life assistance through physician aid in dying. The law defines physician aid in dying specifically as a physician prescribing a lethal dose of medication for a patient to self-administer, while excluding the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment. By stating that physician aid in dying is against public policy, the bill removes the ability of defendants to argue that a patient's consent makes the act legal. The changes take effect on July 1, 2025.