California lawmakers advance aid-in-dying bill on second try

California lawmakers have advanced right-to-die legislation through an Assembly committee after an earlier measure stalled this year amid opposition from religious groups and some Democrats.

The Public Health and Developmental Services committee approved the new bill, ABX2-15, on a 10-2 vote Tuesday, sending it to another committee.

The bill’s author, Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman of Stockton, agreed to amend the bill to make it a felony for anyone other than the patient to administer the medication.

Supporters introduced the bill allowing doctors to prescribe terminally ill patients life-ending drugs in a special legislative session on health care financing convened by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Still, Brown, a Democrat, has signaled that he does not believe the special session is the appropriate venue to consider aid-in-dying.