A state House committee passed a bill Tuesday aimed at ending assisted suicides in Georgia.
The weakness of Georgia's last attempt at an assisted suicide law collapsed under scrutiny of the state Supreme Court in early February.
"We understood before the Supreme Court ruling that we had a weak law," said Rep. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, sponsor of House Bill 1114.
The court struck down the law, saying a provision of it was unconstitutional. The ruling sparked Setzler's fast-moving bill.
He said it would not affect people who have living wills and who wish to decline extraordinary care at the end of an illness. The bill was written to target specifically people who take actions to help others commit suicide, such as the Final Exit group that helped 58-year-old John Celmer kill himself two years after he had been diagnosed with cancer, Setzler said.
Four members of the group were put on trial in Forsyth County for their actions, but the court ruling brought an end to their trial.
About the Author
