§ 7–661.15. Construction.

(a) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to authorize a physician or any other person to end a patient's life by lethal injection, mercy killing, active euthanasia, or any other method or medication not authorized under this chapter.

(b) Actions taken in accordance with this chapter do not constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing, or homicide.

(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize a qualified patient to ingest a covered medication in a public place.

(Feb. 18, 2017, D.C. Law 21-182, § 16, 63 DCR 15697.)

Applicability

Section 7018 of D.C. Law 22-33 repealed § 18 of D.C. Law 21-182. Therefore the creation of this section by D.C. Law 21-182 has been implemented.

A certification dated June 6, 2017, that the fiscal effect of the Death with Dignity Act of 2016, D.C. Law 21-182, has been included in an approved budget and financial plan was published in the D.C. Register on June 16, 2017 (64 DCR 5670). Therefore the creation of this section by that amendment has been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 21-182: § 18 of D.C. Law 21-182 provided that the creation of this section by § 16 of D.C. Law 21-182 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) repeal of § 18 of D.C. Law 21-182, see § 7018 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-167, Oct. 24, 2017, 64 DCR 10802).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of § 18 of D.C. Law 21-182, see § 7018 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-104, July 20, 2017, 64 DCR 7032).