On April 12, 2019, Governor Murphy of New Jersey signed into law the “Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act.” The law, which originally took effect on Aug. 1, 2019, established New Jersey as the eighth state to allow qualified terminally ill patients the option to request and self-administer lethal prescription drugs to “end their lives peacefully, with dignity, and at their own discretion.” (State of New Jersey Press Release, April 12, 2019).
A patient interested in undergoing medical aid in dying (“MAID”) must satisfy specific statutory requirements in order to be eligible. First, the patient must make a series of three statutorily required requests for the lethal medication. Two of the requests must be made orally to the patient’s attending physician at least 15 days apart, and the third request must be made in writing. The written requests must be witnessed by at least two people in the patient’s presence who can attest that the patient is capable and acting voluntarily.