Maryland Bill Would Allow Involuntary Euthanasia

There are so many bills being considered and voted on by the Maryland General Assembly, it may be hard to keep track. You can follow all the bills that Maryland Right to Life supports and opposes by utilizing the legislative tracker on our website: https://mdrtl.org/legislation/

There is at least one more bill you should be aware of during the 2026 session: House Bill 1323.

House Bill 1323, introduced by Delegate Samuel Rosenberg (D-Baltimore City), is opposed by Maryland Right to Life. This bill would allow hospitals to create committees that can make life-and-death decisions for patients who are unable to speak for themselves and who have no representative to advocate for them.

Some may even describe these committees as “death panels.”

Under HB-1323, these hospital committees could decide whether to provide, withhold, or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from patients who have been ruled incapable of making their own medical decisions. Vulnerable individuals could have critical life-preserving treatment withheld without their consent.

This is also known as “involuntary euthanasia.”

Current Maryland law treats involuntary euthanasia as a crime. And rightly so!

HB-1323 moves the state in a dangerous direction by allowing decisions that could effectively end a patient’s life without their approval or even the involvement of their family or loved ones.

This raises serious concerns about the protection of basic patients’ rights. Particularly at risk would be the poor, the elderly, the mentally ill, the medically dependent, people with disabilities, and members of marginalized communities.

There are no safeguards in this bill to ensure that patients’ rights and health are prioritized over cost-saving measures by hospital systems and insurance companies.

The Maryland General Assembly has an obligation to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities—not place them at greater risk.

For these reasons and more, Maryland Right to Life opposes HB-1323 and has urged an unfavorable report by the House Health Committee.

At no point in a patient’s life should our government or healthcare system fail to recognize the inherent dignity and value of every human person.

Maryland should focus instead on improving the quality of care as a patient nears the end of his or her life, including expanding access to compassionate hospice care, improving pain management, and investing in medical innovations and the development of new treatments to sustain life.

We encourage you to contact your elected representatives in the Maryland General Assembly and make your voice heard on this dangerous bill and other proposals that threaten some of the most vulnerable Marylanders.

Thank you for taking action and for your steadfast financial support. Maryland Right to Life is honored to be recognized as the preeminent authority on pro-life legislative matters in Annapolis.

With your assistance, our team is able to analyze hundreds of bills each session, offer guidance to lawmakers, send action alerts, lead strategy calls with aligned groups, mobilize grassroots activists, submit expert testimony, run educational campaigns, publish articles and press releases, and ensure your pro-life voice is represented in Annapolis. We couldn’t do it without your backing.

LifeNews Note: Andrew Bair can be reached on X: @prolifepolitics, or by email: bair.prolifepolitics@gmail.com.

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