France's National Assembly approves assisted dying bill after Senate rejection

Published on 30/06/2026 - 19:55 GMT+2

The French National Assembly has approved the proposal for an assisted dying bill by 295 votes in favour and 232 against after the Senate’s rejection in January.

“This vote is the culmination of several years of work and of a thorough public debate, conducted with seriousness, respect and dignity,” Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, said in a post on X following the vote.

The bill has been controversial in France, sparking debate on how to regulate end-of-life assistance.

It has undergone several amendments since its first proposal. Critics are divided, with some arguing it has been watered down in the process, while others still consider it too permissive.

However, the members of the Assembly in charge of the law noted that the final text "has reached a point of balance”.

According to the rapporteur, Philippe Vigier, the bill establishes new rights for patients, while guaranteeing the freedom of professionals to abstain and it builds in safeguards for everyone — patients, professionals and relatives.

What will this law mean?

The proposed law creates a right to aided dying for adults with grave incurable illnesses in an advanced or terminal phase.

One key change in the final text is that psychological suffering alone has been excluded from access to assisted dying.

Only patients who are physically unable to administer the substance themselves would be allowed to have a doctor or nurse do it for them.

Patients must be over 18 and be French citizens or residents in the country.

A team of medical professionals would need to confirm that the patient has a grave and incurable illness "at an advanced or terminal stage,” with constant suffering from intolerable and untreatable pain, and is seeking lethal medication of their own free will.

The proposed law would also create a conscience clause for healthcare professionals who do not wish to participate in this procedure and would then require them to refer the patient to other healthcare professionals.

Long road to approval

President Emmanuel Macron promised in 2022 to bring forward end-of-life legislation.

First officially proposed in 2024, it was approved by the National Assembly in May 2025.

However, on 28 January, the Senate rejected the bill by 181 votes against and 122 in favour.

After the disagreement between the chambers, a joint committee made up of seven senators and seven deputies met to find a balance but failed to reach a compromise, sending the bill back to the National Assembly.

Now that the text has been once again approved, it will return to the Senate again, and if the two chambers still fail to reach an agreement, the National Assembly can have the final word.