The name of the first state passive euthanasia law in the United States was the Natural Death Act. The act allowed physicians to allow patients to die naturally by stopping the provision of treatment or removing life-sustaining medical equipment if the patient was in an irreversible terminal illness or vegetative state. This practice is considered a way to honor the patient's wishes and alleviate their suffering. The passage of the Natural Death Act marks legislative progress on the issue of euthanasia in the United States.