The proposed bill, General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 5712, seeks to amend current statutes regarding the documentation of causes of death for individuals who self-administer medication prescribed for the purpose of ending their life. Specifically, the bill mandates that when a death certificate is being completed, any individual who is aware that a lethal drug or overdose contributed to the death must include this information in the cause of death section. Furthermore, if such means are included in the chain of events leading to death, the individual must indicate "suicide" as the manner of death.

The intent of this legislation is to ensure that next of kin are informed that a family member's death was the result of assisted suicide. This change in legal language emphasizes the importance of transparency in the documentation of causes of death, particularly in cases involving terminally ill patients who may choose to end their lives through prescribed means. The bill does not propose any deletions from current law but introduces new requirements for the completion of death certificates in these specific circumstances.