Ga. legislature outlaws assisted suicides

ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate on Tuesday passed a measure prohibiting assisted suicide.

House Bill 1114, which was previously approved by the state House, makes assisted suicide a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The measure passed by a 48-1 margin.

“This legislation was crafted to prevent unnecessary deaths as a result of assisted suicide,” state Sen. William Ligon, R-Waverly, said in a news release. “The passage of HB 1114 was a positive step toward protecting the lives of Georgia’s citizens while also strengthening laws which govern end-of-life care or physician-assisted suicide.”

The bill was drafted in response to a recent ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court striking down the state’s assisted suicide law. The current law bans advertising assisted suicide services.

The measure now heads to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature or veto.