Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon lawmakers want to stop companies from selling home suicide kits.

The bill passed this week doesn't affect existing "manslaughter" laws.

The state already forbids helping someone commit suicide outside of Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide system.

Instead, the bill takes aim at suicide devices or substances that are sold outside of Oregon’s "Death With Dignity" law.

The bill stems from a case in Eugene, where a young man used what’s called a "helium hood" to die. He allegedly bought the device from a California company. Eugene-area senator, Floyd Prozanski says this bill would allow Oregon authorities to go after company officials, if the same thing happens again.

"So, you could in fact actually extradite someone from a neighboring or another state that was actually transferring into the state of Oregon a substance or object – for value – with the intent that it would be used to commit suicide," Prozanski said.

Prozanski says the bill is not intended to interfere with regular gun sales, or other weapons. The bill has now passed both houses. Governor Kitzhaber’s spokeswoman say.