Washington DC City Council voted to legalise euthanasia on Tuesday, in a move that sparked outrage among anti-euthanasia groups.
The council must still hold one final vote on the bill, possibly as early as November 15, and the Mayor, Muriel Bowser, must decide if she will sign or veto the bill.
The proposed law would permit doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to mentally independent patients who have less than six months to live.
Democrat council member Mary Cheh, who sponsored the bill, said that it would provide those "on death's doorstep" with an "option to choose a peaceful death".
Ms Bowser, a Democrat, has not yet voiced a position on the legislation. Writing in the Washington Times , Heritage Foundation fellow Ryan T. Anderson said that the law would be harmful to both medical practice and society:
"Changing the laws that govern how doctors operate will change the entire ecosystem of medicine. It'll change how doctors relate to their patients and how much patients can trust their doctors...Ultimately, it will change how society views the weak and the marginalized and affect our family relationships - how we view our elders and our duties toward them."