{"entity":{"id":"law-washington-death-with-dignity-act","kind":"term","name":"Washington Death with Dignity Act (Initiative 1000, 2008)","aka":["Washington Death with Dignity Act","Initiative 1000","chapter 70.245 RCW"],"tldr":"Washington's law, passed by public vote in 2008, allows some terminally ill adult residents expected to die within six months to request medication to end their life as part of end-of-life care.","summary":"United States, Washington, state statute (chapter 70.245 RCW) and regulation (chapter 246-978 WAC). The Washington State Department of Health states that Initiative 1000 passed on 4 November 2008 and took effect on 5 March 2009, allowing some terminally ill patients to request and use lethal doses of medication from qualified medical providers. The Department lists eligibility as: 18 or older; able to make and communicate an informed decision; diagnosed with an incurable and irreversible disease that will produce death within six months; and a Washington resident. RCW 70.245.010 defines terminal disease in those terms. After the 2025 legislative session the Department paused its annual statistical reports for budget reasons and states that access under the Act remains in place.","asOf":"2026-11-04","links":[{"label":"Washington State Department of Health: Death with Dignity Act","url":"https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/health-statistics/death-dignity-act"},{"label":"RCW 70.245.010 definitions","url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=70.245.010"}],"tags":["law","us"],"related":["law-oregon-death-with-dignity-act","law-california-end-of-life-option-act","law-canada-maid","law-netherlands-euthanasia-act","law-spain-euthanasia-act","law-victoria-voluntary-assisted-dying-act","law-england-wales-terminally-ill-adults-bill","law-scotland-assisted-dying-bill"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":["hospice-end-of-life"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Regulation & policy"},"route":"/terms/law-washington-death-with-dignity-act/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"law-scotland-assisted-dying-bill","kind":"term","name":"Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill","route":"/terms/law-scotland-assisted-dying-bill/"},{"id":"law-california-end-of-life-option-act","kind":"term","name":"California End of Life Option Act (2015)","route":"/terms/law-california-end-of-life-option-act/"},{"id":"law-canada-maid","kind":"term","name":"Medical assistance in dying in Canada (Criminal Code, section 241.2)","route":"/terms/law-canada-maid/"},{"id":"law-netherlands-euthanasia-act","kind":"term","name":"Netherlands Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act (2001)","route":"/terms/law-netherlands-euthanasia-act/"},{"id":"law-oregon-death-with-dignity-act","kind":"term","name":"Oregon Death with Dignity Act (1997)","route":"/terms/law-oregon-death-with-dignity-act/"},{"id":"law-spain-euthanasia-act","kind":"term","name":"Spain Organic Law 3/2021 regulating euthanasia","route":"/terms/law-spain-euthanasia-act/"},{"id":"law-england-wales-terminally-ill-adults-bill","kind":"term","name":"Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (England and Wales)","route":"/terms/law-england-wales-terminally-ill-adults-bill/"},{"id":"law-victoria-voluntary-assisted-dying-act","kind":"term","name":"Victoria Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Australia)","route":"/terms/law-victoria-voluntary-assisted-dying-act/"}],"technology":[{"id":"hospice-end-of-life","kind":"technology","name":"Hospice and end-of-life care","route":"/technologies/hospice-end-of-life/"}]}}