• Nearly half of the U.S. is weighing bills that would make assisted suicide legal, showing signs that the debate among Americans regarding one’s ‘right to die’ is growing. 
• Virginia lawmakers recently voted Tuesday to push forward a bill to the state Senate that would allow doctors to euthanize patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses, while another in Arizona would allow a patient to direct a doctor to withhold food and water.

Lawmakers in 19 states are debating legislation this year that would make it legal for a doctor to provide life-ending treatment for patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses.

Currently, assisted suicide is legal in the United States in Oregon, Washington state, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, New Jersey, Vermont, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. Bills to expand access to the procedure have been proposed in 19 states this year, showing a growing interest in the debate of a doctor’s role in helping a patient end their life.