Christian Dubé introduced Bill 38 that expands access to medical assistance in death

There was a consensus in the National Assembly on this issue, and opposition parties intensified pressure on the minister to file a bill before the end of the session on June 10.

More specifically, Bill 38 would allow people with serious and incurable illnesses leading to inability to make an initial request to benefit from MAID when they have become incapacitated.

It sets out the terms applicable to such prior request, and establishes the responsibilities of the various parties involved in its formulation and implementation.

In addition, it specifies the conditions that must be met in order for the MAID to provide for a person with a disability, particularly regarding recognition of the suffering he or she is experiencing.

The bill does not recognize mental illness as a serious and incurable illness, but makes people with severe neuromotor disabilities eligible for MAID.

It also removes the end-of-life criterion from the conditions a person must meet to obtain an MA.

The bill would also authorize specialized nurse practitioners acting for a public institution to administer MAID.

A palliative care home cannot exclude the MAID from the care it offers, with exceptions.

Last December, a cross-partisan commission recommended allowing the initial request following the presence of a diagnosis of a serious and incurable disease leading to disability.

However, the commission did not address the issue of severe neuromotor impairment.

Continuing to improve access to quality end-of-life care is a priority in Quebecsaid Mr. Dubé on Wednesday in a press release.

The work and the reflection aimed at changing the law regarding end-of-life care was carried out with extreme rigor and delicacy.He added.

Under the rules of the National Assembly, a bill was introduced after May 15 cannot be used during work when it is presented.

However, this rule can be avoided if the government obtains the consent of all elected officials.