Assisted suicide is legal in the three American states of Oregon (via the
Oregon Death with Dignity Act), Washington (by Washington Death with Dignity
Act), and Montana (through the 2009 trial court ruling Baxter v. Montana).
There are relatively substantial barriers to the use of some of these
provisions.
For instance, Oregon requires a physician to prescribe medication but it must
be self-administered. The prognosis must be for a life span of 6 months or less.
The person must be a resident of Oregon. A written request for prescription and
two oral requests from the patient are also needed to escape criminal liability,
plus written confirmation by doctor that the act is voluntary and informed. This
limited model has withstood constitutional scrutiny: Gonzales v Oregon
368 F. 3d 1118 (2004), affirmed by 546 U.S. 243 (2006)