Vermont House passes bill allowing doctors to help patients die, goes to governor next.

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont House has approved a bill that would make it state the first in the country to legislate allowing physicians to provide lethal medication to terminally ill patients who request it.

By a 75-65 roll call vote Monday night, the House concurred with a Senate version of the bill that largely copies a law passed by Oregon voters in 1997. The bill mirrors that law for three years and then shifts to a system with less government monitoring.

Some lawmakers likened the Vermont approach to using training wheels in the early years of the law.

The bill now goes before Gov. Peter Shumlin, who has expressed support for the measure.

Washington state also passed its own law by referendum and a Montana court decision made it legal in that state.