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Friday, Nov. 28, 2025

Is ‘medical aid in dying’ legal in Nevada?

Kate Reynolds, The Nevada Independent
no

Medical aid in dying (MAID), the term used when terminally ill patients are prescribed lethal doses of medications to end their own lives, is illegal in Nevada.

Nevada lawmakers have introduced bills to legalize MAID in every legislative session since 2015. The bill that got closest was 2023’s SB239, passing both chambers before Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed it. 

In his veto message, Lombardo wrote that “improvements in advanced pain management” made MAID unnecessary.

Sometimes called physician-assisted suicide, MAID is different from euthanasia, which is medical providers directly administering lethal medications. 

Proponents say MAID allows terminally ill patients who are mentally competent to avoid unnecessary suffering and die on their own terms. Opponents argue it is unethical for the government to authorize the practice and difficult to determine which forms of chronic pain should qualify. 

As of November 2025, MAID is legal in 11 states and the District of Columbia.

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The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

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