In an effort to address the mental and physical suffering terminally ill patients endure, some states have either legalized or decriminalized physician-assisted suicide—a practice commonly referred to as death with dignity. However, as the practice of physician-assisted suicide becomes accepted among states, competent minors continue to be excluded from legislative and judicial decisions. Regardless of parental consent, states institute an age requirement of eighteen years old for participants of physician-assisted suicide. This Note proposes that states amend their physician-assisted suicide statutes to (1) remove any age restriction, (2) create a standard of competency that minors must meet to be eligible for physician-assisted suicide, and (3) implement a procedure to determine whether a minor meets the competency standard.

中文翻译：

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将医生协助自杀的实践扩展到有能力的未成年人

为了解决绝症患者所承受的精神和身体痛苦，一些州已将医生协助自杀合法化或非刑事化——这种做法通常被称为有尊严的死亡。然而，随着医生协助自杀的做法在各州被接受，有能力的未成年人继续被排除在立法和司法决定之外。不管父母是否同意，各州规定医生协助自杀的参与者的年龄要求为 18 岁。本说明建议各州修改其医生辅助自杀法规，以 (1) 取消任何年龄限制，(2) 制定未成年人有资格获得医生辅助自杀的能力标准，以及 (3) 实施程序以确定未成年人是否符合能力标准。