DC Council decides to vote on right-to-die bill

WASHINGTON – District of Columbia lawmakers will vote on a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with the help of a doctor.

The D.C. Council moved Tuesday to place the bill on its legislative agenda for a meeting next month.

The bill would allow patients with six months or less to live to request lethal medication from their doctors.

Physician-assisted death is legal in five states, and several others are considering legislation. The husband of a California woman who moved to Oregon to take life-ending drugs in 2014 has been advocating for the legislation across the country.

Some council members have expressed concerns that patients with fewer resources might be pressured into ending their lives.

Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser has not taken a position on the legislation.

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