California Gov. Jerry Brown last year signed a bill — the End of Life Option Act — that will allow patients with six months or less to live to choose to take medication that will end their lives voluntarily and peacefully.

However, the system — which takes effect in early June of 2016 — was developed to be intentionally complicated so that those who wish to end their lives will need to be completely certain of their choice.

Kaiser Health News discusses the contours of this complex and interesting law:

California’s End of Life Option Act creates a long list of administrative hurdles that both patients and their doctors must clear.

For instance, you must make multiple requests for the drugs, orally and in writing, and provide a written attestation within 48 hours of taking the medication (you must be able to take the drugs yourself, without help, to qualify).

Two doctors must confirm your diagnosis, prognosis and ability to make medical decisions, and you must prove you’re a California resident.

And more.

“This will not be an on-demand service,” says Sarah Hooper, executive director of the UCSF / UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science and Health Policy.

“The patient has to jump through a lot of hoops before accessing the prescription. Those hoops are designed to ensure that the patient has really thought about this and is making the decision voluntarily.”

California will be the fifth state to implement an aid-in-dying law, and the Golden State’s version of it is considered the most stringent, says Sean Crowley, spokesman for the advocacy group Compassion & Choices.

The drugs may not be prescribed by every physician, and not all insurance companies may cover the cost of medication. For more about the option, visit the End of Life Option’s website here.