Literature Review

Lawmakers: hospice staffing bill still a priority Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/29/26 U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) remain committed to passing the Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA). If enacted, PCHETA would provide support for hospice and palliative care training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. The legislation would also expand continuing education and career-development opportunities, as well as incentives for professionals in these fields. Both Baldwin and Capito have served as caregivers for seriously ill family members.

[United Kingdom] Somerset MPs split as Parliament votes down assisted dying bill centraljersey.com, United Kingdom; by Josh King; 9/20/26 The UK House of Commons rejected the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday, September 11, by 286 votes to 270, according to the Somerset County Gazette. The margin was just 16 votes. More than four hours of debate preceded it, over legislation that would have let terminally ill adults in England and Wales seek a medically assisted death. Somerset's own MPs were divided on the question, the Gazette reported, with most backing the bill and one voting firmly against it.

New law makes medical aid in dying possible in McLean County — if you can find a provider WGLT-NPR; by Courtney Conroy and Eric Stock; 9/11/26  Illinois' medical aid in dying law took effect Saturday. Terminally ill adults across the state have the legal option to request medication from a physician to end their lives. In McLean County, it might not be that easy. The region's two major hospital systems have declined to participate in the new law. Local hospice and other care providers have not responded to interview requests. The county coroner's office does not plan to weigh in.

Office of the Governor — Gov. Green announces $58 million federal investment to strengthen rural healthcare across Hawaiʻi The America Watch - State of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI; by Office of the Governor, Josh Green, MD; 9/1/26 Governor Josh Green today announced $58 million in federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve access to healthcare and strengthen services in rural and underserved communities across Hawaiʻi. “As a physician who has practiced in rural communities, I know that distance can determine whether someone receives care in time,” said Governor Green. “This $58 million federal investment will help us train and retain more healthcare professionals, provide new ambulances in every county and modernize emergency communications. ..."

Limestone County providers to receive share of state Rural Health Transformation Program grants The News Courier, Athens, AL; by Ben Bullard; 8/26/26 Alabama Governor Kay Ivey this week announced the awarding of 138 grants worth more than $144 million to healthcare providers and institutions statewide as part of the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP). The awards include funding for medical infrastructure and cybersecurity upgrades in Limestone County, while also supporting numerous programs that include Limestone as part of a wider multi-county area. “Alabama is serious about creating systematic changes through the ARHTP to ensure every citizen has access to quality care. This program is enabling institutions covering every part of the state to improve healthcare for Alabamians through projects that are both innovative and sustainable,” said Ivey in announcing the grants.

Detroit teen’s cancer death sparks 5K walk and new Georgia diploma law hoodline, Detroit, MI; by Jerry McAllister; 8/16/26 A Detroit family walked the riverfront near their old neighborhood this week to honor a 15-year-old whose fight with a rare bone cancer ended in his death nearly two years ago but has since reshaped state law hundreds of miles away in Georgia. GaKobe Milton, who once lived in Detroit before his family relocated to Atlanta, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 13 in 2022 and died on December 10, 2024, after a two-year battle with the disease. His mother, Kuleesha Milton, brought his memory back to the city he called home with a 5K walk at Alfred Brush Ford Park along the Detroit Riverfront. ... Georgia lawmakers signed the GaKobe Milton Act into law in his honor, and Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1284 on May 5, according to the Georgia General Assembly. The law requires local school boards to petition the State Board of Education within 14 days for graduation requirement waivers, allowing schools to award diplomas to terminally ill students receiving end-of-life care, or posthumously if necessary. The act waives completion of all remaining high school graduation requirements for eligible terminally ill students.

NY’s MAiD law: updates that medical providers and facilities should know JD Supra; by Rivkin Radler, LLD - Attorneys at Law; 7/31/26As discussed in our prior publication, Medical Aid in Dying Is Now Legal in NY, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID) on February 6, 2026. Since then, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has issued a form (DOH-5847) for patients to request MAID, frequently asked questions (FAQs), educational materials, guidance, and proposed reporting regulations. Together, these materials provide important directions for providers and facilities as they prepare for the law’s August 5, 2026, effective date.

Medical Aid in Dying in New York: A changing medical and legal landscape for terminally ill New Yorkers and healthcare professionals New York State Bar Association; by Edward McArdle, Mary Beth Quaranta Morrissey, Adrienne Borschuk and Epiphany G. Ramirez; 7/29/26 Medical aid in dying will soon become a legally permitted medical option for terminally ill patients in New York [on Aug 5]. The chapter amendments, which Gov. Hochul required before signing the bill, introduced several additional patient protections and clarifications to address concerns raised during the legislative process. These amendments include the requirements that all oral requests for the bill be recorded by audio or video device and permanently stored in the patient’s medical record; a mandatory mental health evaluation by a qualified professional to confirm decisional capacity; a five-day waiting period between the writing and filling of the prescription (with a narrow exception if the attending physician determines the patient may die before the period expires); a strict residency requirement limited to New York residents only; an in-person initial physician consultation unless such would cause extraordinary hardship to the patient; and strengthened opt-out rights for individual clinicians and healthcare facilities – including home hospice programs – that hold religious, moral, or ethical objections to participating in MAiD.

Public Policy Agenda & Toolkit National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care; Press Release; 5/4/26 The National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care’s Public Policy Agenda outlines a unified, consensus-driven set of priorities to strengthen palliative care and hospice for patients, families, and caregivers across the lifespan. Developed through collaboration among national member organizations, the agenda provides a coordinated framework to guide policy and advocacy efforts at both the national and state levels. It reflects shared priorities to improve access, advance quality and equity, support the workforce, and promote sustainable, value-based care.

US lawmakers urge stricter monitoring of medically assisted suicide in hospices The Guardian | US healthcare; by Coral Murphy Marcos; 7/9/26 Lawmakers urged the health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, on Thursday to establish strict hospice reporting rules to prevent discrimination and coercion in medically assisted suicide. The bipartisan group of members of Congress warned that older adults, people with disabilities, or those with disaffected caregivers face a particular risk of being pressured to end their lives. “Every person has inherent worth and dignity, including those facing their final days,” said the Republican senator James Lankford in a statement. ... Lankford, as well as the Democratic senator Tim Kaine, Republican representative Greg Murphy and Jose Luis Correa, a Democratic representative, signed a joint letter asking HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to monitor the practice.

Senators Hassan, Scott introduce bipartisan bill to establish www.ReportScams.Gov, first central portal for Americans to report scams and get help Maggie Hassan, US Senator for New Hampshire, Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/15/26 U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation to establish the first central portal for Americans to report scams and get the help they need from law enforcement and federal agencies. The ReportScams.gov Act will establish a comprehensive Federal Scams Action Plan and create a website – www.ReportScams.gov – to serve as a central location for federal scams reporting, information, and assistance. “Today, with no central hub to combat scams, Americans are forced to navigate a maze of agencies and websites when they want to report a scam and get help. ...” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan bill will establish a comprehensive, unified plan to thwart scammers and provide consumers with one clear user-friendly portal where they can report scams and alert law enforcement.”

Disability advocates challenge Illinois ‘aid-in-dying’ law llinois Public Media | NPR | PBS; by Brian Mackey; 6/23/26 Illinois aid-in-dying law is set to take effect in September. It’s meant to give terminally ill patients a medical way to end their lives. But opponents call it “assisted suicide,” and they’ve joined with disability advocates trying to block the law in court. We’ll hear from people on both sides of that debate. [This article provides links to multiple sources, addressing "both sides of that debate."]