Death with Dignity National Center

The mission of the Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC) is to provide information, education, research and support for the preservation, implementation and promotion of Death with Dignity laws which allow a terminally ill, mentally competent adult the right to request and receive a prescription to hasten death under certain specific safeguards. We promote Death with Dignity laws based on our model legislation, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, as a stimulus to nationwide improvements in end-of-life care and as an option for dying individuals. We accomplish our mission by working to defend and promote Death with Dignity laws in court and in the court of public opinion through our nonprofit Death with Dignity National Center [501(c)(3)], and by working directly with public policymakers through our affiliated Political Action Fund [501(c)(4)].

Respect the will of the people.

The Death with Dignity National Center (formerly Oregon Right to Die Political Action Committee) and the Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund are the organizations responsible for writing and achieving passage of Oregon’s model Death with Dignity law through the initiative process. We successfully defended Oregon physicians and pharmacists who were threatened with prosecution in the Supreme Court case Gonzales v. Oregon. We successfully brought Death with Dignity to the 2008 ballot in the state of Washington and we will lead another successful ballot initiative effort in 2012. In addition, we provide information, referrals, and education about Death with Dignity and other end-of-life concerns to individuals all over the United States.