New Jersey Aid-in-Dying Law’s Residency Rule Deemed Valid (1)

New Jersey’s residency requirement for people seeking legal aid in dying passes constitutional muster, a federal appeals court said Friday.

“New Jersey has sound reasons to limit this grave choice to its own residents,” Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote for the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. “Protecting vulnerable patients and their doctors (not to mention avoiding friction with other states) justifies the residency requirement under any applicable test.”

New Jersey is one of about 11 states and Washington, DC, that have aid-in-dying laws allowing doctors to provide patients with the means to end their lives, legalizing care that’s ...