Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 2747! Californians have the right to know end of life choices

Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 2747!
Californians have the Right to Know!
10/2/08

There is cause to celebrate today for members of Compassion & Choices, and for anyone concerned about choices at the end of life. Late in the evening of Sept. 30, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California signed into law AB 2747, called the Right-to-Know End-of-Life Options Act. This new law provides terminally ill patients with a full disclosure of, and counseling about, all legal and ethical end-of-life options. When the patient requests, doctors are required to give information about hospice care, pain management, withdrawing life sustaining treatment and other end-of-life options. Patients may also include family members in the discussion of end-of-life care.

In this era of technological and medical advances which prolong life, it is more important than ever that patients facing the end of life know all the options available. Too often, patients suffer agonizing pain and the loss of control, along with loss of autonomy and dignity, because they and their families do not know that other alternatives are available. Because of this new law in California, patients there will get the information needed to make independent and knowledgeable choices. This is a major piece of legislation for that state, and will serve as a model for legislatures of other states to follow.

Compassion & Choices is looking forward to monitoring and supporting the efforts of voters and legislators around the nation in changing the law to promote liberty and choice. We salute Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislators who passed this bill.