Victoria euthanasia law bid delayed

A Greens bid to get Victoria's Law Reform Commission to examine euthanasia has been delayed.

Party leaders in the state's upper house agreed to not to vote on the motion after it looked like it would fail.

But the Greens say a vote will be held in May on whether the commission should report on euthanasia laws.

Green MP Colleen Hartland said she was heartened by the number of MPs from all parties who indicated they would support her.

Democratic Labour Party MP Rachel Carling-Jenkins claimed a win after speaking against the motion.

"The Greens simply did not have the numbers, so they did not bring it to a vote today," Dr Carling-Jenkins told AAP on Wednesday.

But the Greens say the vote will be held when Parliament returns for the budget.

Ms Hartland said the Law Reform Commission needed to examine the issue because it wasn't going away.

"We actually need to allow people to decide how they will die because doctors are already doing this," she said.

Ms Hartland wants the commission to spend up to a year examining the issue and then see the government bring forward legislation based on that report.