Umbria passes regional law permitting medically assisted suicide, becoming Italy's fifth such region

On Thursday, the Legislative Assembly of Umbria adopted a citizens’ initiative that legalizes medically assisted suicide, marking the region as the fifth in Italy to regulate end-of-life decisions. The bill, formally named "Provisions for regional healthcare assistance regarding medically assisted voluntary death through the self-administration of a lethal drug," passed amid prolonged applause, while President Stefania Proietti did not cast a vote.

Earlier, Veneto became the first centre-right governed region to approve such a law, joining Tuscany, Sardinia and Emilia-Romagna. The Luca Coscioni Association, a right-to-die group, has helped people pursue assisted suicide since the Italian supreme court’s 2019 decision that recognized the practice in limited circumstances. Prior to that ruling, patients often traveled to the Dignitas Clinic near Zurich. The supreme court also urged parliament to fill the national legislative gap, a step that has yet to occur.