Governor Signs Bill Making Assisted Suicide a Felony

Governor John Kasich

On December 19, 2016, Governor John Kasich signed a bill requiring licensing of palliative care facilities. The bill, HB 470, included Section 3795.04, making assisted suicide a felony, as follows:

(A) Except as provided in section 3795.03 of the Revised Code, no person shall knowingly cause another person to commit or attempt to commit suicide by doing either of the following:

(1) Providing the physical means by which the other person commits or attempts to commit suicide;

(2) Participating in a physical act by which the other person commits or attempts to commit suicide.

(B) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of assisting suicide, a felony of the third degree.

Per a published statement, Ohio state Sen. Bill Seitz was approached about making assisted suicide a felony. "I thought it was a good idea, because even though assisted suicide was against the law in Ohio already, there was not a criminal penalty attached to it." 

Section 3795.03 went into effect on March 21, 2017