Last Thursday, March 21, The Arc Maryland celebrated the lives of people with Down syndrome and their families during World Down Syndrome Day at the State House.

With the support of our partners at the Maryland Catholic Conference, the Maryland Department of Disabilities, families, direct support professionals, and self-advocate adults and children, we were proud to be honored by the Maryland Senate, House of Delegates and First Lady Yumi Hogan, as they each offered Proclamations recognizing World Down Syndrome Day, now as an ann ua l state celebration. 

Thank you to everyone who joined  us for making World Down Syndrome Day 2019 so memorable.

On Friday, March 22, the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee voted 7 to 3 to advance SB311/HB399 with amendments after almost 7 hours of debate the previous evening.  The bill now heads to the full Senate and House for review and will likely go to a conference committee to work out the differences between the two bills.
  

Earlier in session, the House of Delegates narrowly passed HB399 with a vote of 74-66 with those voting against the bill voicing concern that the bill did not contain safeguards to adequately protect those who may be vulnerable to certain components of the bill.  Those vulnerable include people with mental health and intellectual/developmental disabilities and those with limited incomes who might be drawn to ending their lives at the prospect of more expensive alternatives to addressing health concerns.

The Arc Maryland is mildly comforted by amendments which would require a mental health evaluation of those seeking to end their lives, requirements that the physician witnesses not be related financially to one another (doctors of the same practice for example), a change in the definition of "terminal" to ensure a doctor is making a prognosis that a person's life will end in 6 months "to a reasonable degree of medical certainty'", the requirement that doctor's provide patients with information about alternatives to death (including available medical and treatment options), and removal of civil immunities for doctors and family members.  We believe these and other amendments offer much needed protections that were not in the original bill.  That said we fear the amendments may not be enough to completely allay concerns that this bill, if enacted, would create for Marylanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For The Arc United States' position on Medical Aid in Dying/PAS, and to better understand these concerns, please click HERE.

To read more about the bill and the Senate bill amendments, please click HERE.

Senate