The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that the Constitution does not recognize a fundamental right to physician-assisted suicide, allowing states to prohibit it to preserve life and uphold medical ethics.

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A federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California’s End of Life Option Act (EOLOA). Filed in April 2023 by a coalition of disability rights organization alongside two disabled people, the suit contends that the EOLOA discriminates against people with disabilities and violates federal laws and constitutional protections.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a New York law prohibiting physician-assisted suicide, finding no violation of the Equal Protection Clause because the law rationally distinguished between letting a patient die naturally and actively causing their death.

In United Spinal Association et al v. State of Colorado et al (2025), disability-rights groups challenge Colorado’s End of Life Options Act, arguing it discriminates against disabled people by encouraging assisted suicide over equal access to care. They claim the law violates the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Constitution.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled that physician-assisted suicide is not explicitly prohibited under state law, allowing terminally ill patients to request assistance in dying without legal repercussions for doctors, based on state consent and dignity principles.