Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act (S.138/A.136) into law, making New York the latest state to permit terminally ill residents with less than six months to live to seek medical assistance in ending their lives. The legislation follows years of advocacy and debate among lawmakers, health professionals, and families affected by terminal illness.
“Our state will always stand firm in safeguarding New Yorkers’ freedoms and right to bodily autonomy, which includes the right for the terminally ill to peacefully and comfortably end their lives with dignity and compassion,” Governor Hochul said. “This journey was deeply personal for me. Witnessing my mother’s suffering from ALS was an excruciating experience, knowing there was nothing I could do to alleviate the pain of someone I loved. It took years of intimate discussions with our bill sponsors, health experts, advocates, and most importantly, families who have similar firsthand experiences. New Yorkers deserve the choice to endure less suffering, not by shortening their lives, but by shortening their deaths — I firmly believe we made the right decision.”
The law contains several safeguards intended to prevent abuse or coercion. These include a five-day waiting period between when a prescription is written and filled; mandatory video or audio recording of a patient’s oral request; mental health evaluations by psychologists or psychiatrists; prohibitions on witnesses or interpreters who might benefit financially from a patient’s death; residency requirements; in-person physician evaluations; opt-out provisions for religiously affiliated hospice providers; classification of violations as professional misconduct under Education Law; and a delayed effective date allowing time for regulatory preparation.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera commented on his role carrying the bill: “I’m honored to carry the Medical Aid in Dying Act on behalf of the new Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. Our state must ensure terminally-ill New Yorkers can choose their journey. I want to thank Assemblymember Paulin and former Senator Hoylman-Sigal for their tireless work to give these New Yorkers the option to make an end-of-life care decision in a dignified and compassionate manner, and to Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law.”
Assemblymember Amy Paulin shared her personal connection: “Today is a historic day for New York. The Medical Aid in Dying Act gives New Yorkers the dignity they deserve at the most vulnerable moment in their lives. This legislation is about love, autonomy, and easing needless suffering. My sister died a horrific death from ovarian cancer, and in her final days she was in pain so overwhelming that she begged for death. Her experience is, tragically, the story of so many others. Most people will never choose medical aid in dying, but they want the reassurance of having it as a compassionate safeguard that offers comfort even if it is never used. I am profoundly grateful to Governor Hochul for recognizing the deep compassion at the heart of this legislation and to the extraordinary advocates who have spent years working to make this day possible.”
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal called it “a historic step forward for compassion, dignity, and personal autonomy.” He said: “For terminally ill New Yorkers facing unimaginable pain and suffering, this law ensures they will have the ability to make deeply personal end-of-life decisions on their own terms… From the beginning, I have said this bill is not about ending life — it is about shortening death and easing suffering.”
Corinne Carey from Compassion & Choices stated: “We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul for listening to families navigating the realities of terminal illness… The Medical Aid in Dying Act affirms a simple but profound principle: that everyone deserves compassion and the freedom to make deeply personal decisions about their own body and their own care at the end of life.”
Mandi Zucker from End of Life Choices New York added: “Governor Hochul delivered on her promise… Yet today’s announcement that the Governor signed the bill is not the end of the fight… Over the next six months and beyond, End of Life Choices New York will engage in a massive educational effort for physicians, attorneys, nurses, pharmacists, doulas… We look forward to working with Governor’s office…to ensure [the] law is implemented successfully.”
The law will take effect six months after signing so regulations can be established by state agencies and healthcare providers can prepare staff training.
