Carney has previously opposed physician-assisted suicide

Carney added that like lawmakers, he’ll look at it from various angles.

“I think every member looks at it from their own perspective in terms of their moral compass, in terms of their religious background in terms of their own personal experience,” he said. “I think everybody has that both personal perspective, which comes from kind of their moral compass, and their experience, and that’s the approach I’ll take.”

If Carney vetoes the legislation, it’s not clear if the legislature would have the votes to override the veto. The bill did not pass with veto-proof majorities. Lawmakers would need 3/5ths of each chamber to vote yes to overturn a veto.

The legislation is called the Ron Silverio/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act, named in honor of two advocates of the legislation.

Supporters say it includes a number of safeguards, including ensuring patients are self-administering the medication, moral objection opt-outs for medical providers, waiting periods and mandatory mental health evaluations. Two doctors would be required to certify that the patient is mentally capable, making an informed decision and is acting voluntarily.

Democratic Sen. Stephanie Hansen, of Middletown, who supported the bill in the Senate, talked about her father enduring amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which leaves people unable to eat, breathe or move.

“Every day after he got to a particular point, he would say to my mother ‘Sara Lee, please take the pistol out of the nightstand that we keep next to our bed and shoot me. This needs to be over,’” Hansen said. “Every single day.”

A number of groups representing the disability community have opposed the legislation. They said they are concerned disabled people could be manipulated to end their lives, instead of receiving what could be expensive medical care.

If it becomes law, Delaware would be the 11th state nationwide to enact an end-of-life provision, joining other states like New Jersey, Vermont and Oregon.