Literature Review

Major health groups push Congress to keep protecting state medical marijuana laws from federal interference Marijuana Moment; by Kyle Jaeger; 7/16/25 A coalition of 45 marijuana advocacy and medical groups—including Americans for Safe Access (ASA), U.S. Pain Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Epilepsy Foundation of America and more—are calling on congressional lawmakers to ensure that state medical cannabis programs remain protected under spending legislation that’s advancing. ... The rider that protects state medical cannabis laws from federal interference, meanwhile, has been part of federal law since 2014 but requires renewal on an annual basis as part of appropriations legislation. 

Twenty-fourth proclamation relating to wildfiresOffice of the Governor - State of Hawai'i, Hawaii.gov; by Reece Kilbey; 7/7/25By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Hawai’i, to provide relief for disaster damages, losses, and suffering, and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people, I, Josh Green, M.D, Governor of the State of Hawai’i, hereby proclaim as follows: ... [This lengthy document has 8 references to "hospice."]

Workplace violence bill passes the Oregon House and Senate, heads to Governor's desk The Source, Bend, OR; 6/30/25 The Oregon Legislative Assembly passed groundbreaking workplace violence legislation aimed at keeping frontline healthcare workers safe in hospitals, and home health and hospice settings across Oregon. Senate Bill 537 B (SB 537) was passed by the House just three days after it was passed by the Senate and heads to Governor Kotek for her signature. ... What SB 537 Accomplishes: SB 537 focuses on pragmatic, prevention-oriented solutions that protect frontline nurses and caregivers in hospitals and in home health and hospice settings. ... Why This Matters: ... Nationally, between 2007 and 2022, hospital staff experienced a 181% increase in workplace violence injuries. In Oregon, a staggering 92% of ONA members reported incidents of violence last year—far above national averages.

National Alliance for Care at Home champions bipartisan legislation to transform access to quality in-home skilled nursingNational Alliance for Care at Home press release; by Elyssa Katz; 6/20/25The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is pleased to support the introduction of the Continuous Skilled Nursing Quality Improvement Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 1920, introduced by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) aims to improve the quality and accessibility of skilled nursing care by modernizing Medicaid’s approach to private duty nursing.

[New York] State Senate passes Medical Aid in Dying Act, bill heads to governor’s desk  Finger Lakes Daily News; by Lucas Day; 6/10/25 The New York State Senate passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act late Monday night, paving the way for New York to become the 11th state in the nation to legalize medical aid in dying. The vote followed hours of contentious debate and passed largely along party lines, 35-27. Six Democrats broke ranks to oppose the measure. The State Assembly had already approved the legislation in April by a vote of 81-67, meaning the bill now heads to Governor Kathy Hochul, who has the final say on whether it becomes law. 

40 years after Karen Ann Quinlan’s death, NJ right-to-die case still stirs strong emotions New Jersy Herald; by William Westhoven; 6/4/25 ... Today, Americans are free to declare those rights [about dying] in the form of advance directives such as a living will. For that, we have one New Jersey family to thank: the parents and siblings of Karen Ann Quinlan, whose faith carried them through the arduous process of turning their tragedy into a legal victory that changed the way Americans approach the end of life. They were aided by a collection of attorneys and judges on both sides of the life-or-death case who chose to work "as adversaries but not enemies." Karen, then 21, fell into an irreversible coma after attending a party in Sussex County on April 15, 1975. She died 40 years ago, on June 11, 1985, in a Morris County nursing home.Editor's note: I remember this. Do you? In the midst of today's MAiD legislation, lobbying, and often highly inflammatory stances, I'm struck by this article's description, "They were aided by a collection of attorneys and judges on both sides of the life-or-death case who chose to work "as adversaries but not enemies." Yes, strong emotions and beliefs still drive both sides. Yes, we still choose how to work together. 

Q&A with Jim Obergefell on the future of Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling, LGBTQ rights Fremont News Messenger; by Laura A. Bischoff; 6/1/25 In 2013, Ohioans Jim Obergefell and John Arthur flew on a medical jet to exchange vows in Maryland where same-sex marriage was legal at the time. With Arthur in hospice care for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, time was slipping away for the Cincinnati couple and their home state of Ohio prohibited same-sex marriage. Days after their tarmac wedding, civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein showed them a blank Ohio death certificate. "Do you guys understand that when John dies, his last record as a person will be wrong here, where it says marital status at the time of death?" Gerhardstein told them. "Ohio will say John was unmarried. And Jim, your name will not be here, where it says surviving spouse name." Brokenhearted and angry at the idea of not being recognized by Ohio, Arthur and Obergefell told Gerhardstein, yes, they wanted to do something about it. Arthur didn't live to see the fruits of that decision: On June 26, 2015, in a 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court decided states must allow for same-sex marriages and must recognize those solemnized in other states. Arthur died in October 2013 at the age of 48.

Providers, advocates ask Senate to reject $700M in Medicaid cuts, Congress to save OAA programs McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 5/27/25Providers and advocates for older adults are counting on the Senate to reject a portion of the proposed federal budget that would gut $700 million from the Medicaid program. Members of the House of Representatives passed their version of the bill late Wednesday. ... Home care advocates ANCOR and the National Alliance for Care at Home on Thursday also called on the Senate to reject the House-passed cuts to Medicaid.

Johnson champions Eddie's Law to bring dignity to end-of-life-care in Illinois Public, Springfield, IL; News Release; 5/22/25 After an incarcerated man named Eddie Thomas died alone in a prison infirmary without receiving any end-of-life care, State Senator Adriane Johnson is championing legislation to bring dignity, compassion, and transparency to hospice and palliative care services in Illinois correctional facilities. "This bill is about basic human dignity," said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). "No one should die in pain, in isolation or without the comfort of care - no matter who they are or where they live. House Bill 2397 brings transparency to a system that too often leaves people to suffer silently." ... House Bill 2397 would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to prepare and publish an annual report detailing its hospice and palliative care programs. The bill aims to provide lawmakers with data that can guide future policy decisions on compassionate and medically appropriate end-of-life care for people incarcerated in Illinois. 

Trump Administration Executive Order TrackerMcDermott+Consulting; by McDermott+; 5/19/25 [This article] is a tracker of healthcare-related executive orders (EOs) issued by the Trump administration, including overviews of each EO and the date each EO was signed. We will regularly update this tracker as additional EOs are published. It is important to note that EOs, on their own, do not effectuate policies. Rather, in most cases, they put forth policy goals and call on federal agencies to examine old or institute new policies that align with those goals. ...

Texas lawmakers pass bills to expand Medical Marijuana Program and support psychedelic research Marijuana Moment; by Tom Angell; 5/13/25 The Texas House of Representatives has passed bills to significantly expand the state’s limited medical cannabis program and to support research on the therapeutic potential of ibogaine with the aim of encouraging federal approval of the psychedelic. The marijuana measure cleared the House on third reading with a vote of 122–21 and the ibogaine legislation was approved 138-2. The body’s action sends both proposals to the Senate and comes one day after the bills were given initial approval on second reading. ... A second amendment approved by members would require doctors who issue medical cannabis recommendations to report them to the state’s prescription drug monitoring program.

2 views of the New York bill that would legalize medically assisted suicide Spectrum News 1, Northern NY; by Susan Arbetter; 5/5/25 Last week, after over a decade of trying, advocates rejoiced when the New York state Assembly passed a bill allowing for medically assisted suicide. After an emotional debate, the so-called Medical Aid in Dying Act passed by an 81-67 vote. The legislation faces an uphill battle in the state Senate, but if passed into law, it would allow mentally competent, terminally ill patients over the age of 18 to self-administer physician-prescribed life-ending medication. ... Capital Tonight heard from both those opposed to and those in support of the bill, A136 Paulin/S138 Hoylman-Sigal. ... Last week, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told Capital Tonight that there were 25 “yes” votes in that chamber – 32 are needed to pass. Carey pointed out that while the Senate bill has 25 sponsors, there are additional members who support the bill. 

Rep. Jamila Taylor advances new laws to protect vulnerable communities and end-of-life rights The Seattle Medium, Olympia, WA; by The Seattle Medium; 4/18/25 In a landmark legislative moment for Washington’s most vulnerable residents, Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way) secured the passage of two major bills signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson on April 16. Together, the laws modernize background checks for caregivers and ensure that all individuals—regardless of pregnancy status—retain full autonomy over their end-of-life healthcare decisions.