British lawmakers are set to decide Friday whether to legalize assisted dying, a contentious proposal that would make the United Kingdom one of a small handful of nations to allow terminally ill people to end their lives.

The bill, modeled after Oregon’s law, would apply to terminally ill patients and could usher in one of the most dramatic social changes Britain has seen in years.

If the law is passed, it would represent the crossing of a significant legal, societal, and moral Rubicon,’ one member of Parliament said ahead of