It would prohibit the U.S. Attorney General from making exceptions. The constitutionality of such a Federal law is be highly doubtful. The U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1997 implied that states can pass laws which permit physician assisted suicide, and that individuals have a right to take advantage of these laws if they wish. The Federal Government can hardly prevent such access. The law would allow doctors to prescribe narcotics for the relief of pain, even if the drugs have the side effect of shortening a patient's life.
Some physicians currently leave their patients in agony out of fear of prosecution.
They could theoretically be charged with murder in some states if they shorten the patient's life by even a small amount. If the bill becomes law, doctors would be able to prescribe some level of medication, and reduce their patient's agony, without endangering the doctor's safety. On the negative side , many physicians will fear giving adequate levels of narcotics to manage properly their patients' pain. If the physician misjudges the dose and give the patient too much medication, they could cause that patient's quick death. The physician may be charged under the act, and end up with a 20 year jail sentence.