Medical Aid in Dying in Rhode Island: Current Law and the Compassionate Care Act

Medical aid in dying (MAID) is not legal in Rhode Island as of 2026. The Lila Manfield Sapinsley Compassionate Care Act has been introduced multiple times but has not passed. Here is where things stand and what options terminally ill Rhode Island residents have.

The Compassionate Care Act: What It Would Allow

The most recent version of the Compassionate Care Act — introduced as companion bills 2026-H 7760 and 2026-S 2051 — would establish a framework for terminally ill adults to request physician-prescribed, self-administered medication to end their lives. The bill is modeled on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, the oldest such law in the United States.

Under the proposed legislation:

• Eligibility: The patient must be a competent adult resident of Rhode Island diagnosed with a terminal illness likely to result in death within six months
• Safeguard process: Two verbal requests to the attending physician at least 15 days apart, followed by a written request signed before two qualified adult witnesses (at least one unrelated and not an heir)
• Self-administration required: The patient must self-administer the medication — the bill explicitly prohibits euthanasia, lethal injection, or mercy killing by a healthcare professional
• Mental capacity: The patient must be mentally capable of making their own decisions throughout the request process

Why It Has Not Passed

In May 2026, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to hold the bill for further study — effectively killing it for the 2026 legislative session. This is not the first time. The Compassionate Care Act has been introduced in multiple sessions and has consistently stalled in committee.

The bill has strong advocacy support from end-of-life groups and polling suggests public support, but legislative obstacles — including opposition from medical associations and religious organizations — have prevented a floor vote.

What Terminally Ill Residents Can Do Now

While MAID is not available, Rhode Island law provides several tools for end-of-life care management:

Hospice and palliative care. Rhode Island has well-established hospice programs. Palliative sedation — medication to relieve suffering in dying patients, even if it may hasten death — is legal and practiced within medical ethics guidelines. This is distinct from MAID because the primary intent is symptom relief, not ending life.

Living Will. A properly executed Rhode Island Living Will allows you to refuse all life-sustaining treatment, including mechanical ventilation, when you have a terminal condition. You can also authorize the withholding of artificial nutrition and hydration by checking the designated box on the statutory form.

MOLST / DNR. A Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment form translates your preferences into immediate medical orders. Combined with a DNR order or Comfort One bracelet, this ensures that emergency responders honor your wishes to forgo resuscitation.

Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED). A competent patient has the legal right to refuse food and water. This is a recognized end-of-life choice, though it requires careful medical supervision and support.

If the Law Changes

End-of-life advocacy groups continue to push for the Compassionate Care Act's passage in future sessions. If you want to stay informed, organizations like Compassion & Choices track legislation state by state.

Neighboring States with MAID Laws

Several states near Rhode Island have enacted medical aid in dying legislation:

• Vermont — Patient Choice and Control at End of Life Act (2013)
• Maine — Death with Dignity Act (2019)
• New Jersey — Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act (2019)

Most MAID laws require state residency, which means Rhode Island residents cannot access these programs by crossing state lines. Vermont's law previously included a residency requirement, though some states have faced legal challenges to residency restrictions.

The Advance Directive Connection

While MAID and advance directives serve different purposes, they share a common foundation: documenting your healthcare preferences while you have capacity. An advance directive does not authorize MAID (even if it were legal), and a MAID request does not replace the need for an advance directive.

Regardless of where you stand on MAID, a complete advance directive ensures your other end-of-life preferences are legally documented — including your choices about life-sustaining treatment, artificial nutrition, and who speaks for you if you cannot speak for yourself.

The Rhode Island Advance Directive & Living Will Kit covers the full range of legally available options, including Living Will instructions, MOLST guidance, and DNR protocols.

See more Rhode Island guides →