New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday her intention to rubber-stamp the state legislature’s Medical Aid in Dying Act (MADA), which will allow terminally ill patients to request a medically assisted death.
Hochul praised the bill as an advancement of individual liberties and recalled her experience with her mother, stating:
New York has long been a beacon of freedom, and now it is time we extend that freedom to terminally ill New Yorkers who want the right to die comfortably and on their own terms. My mother died of ALS, and I am all too familiar with the pain of seeing someone you love suffer and being powerless to stop it. Although this was an incredibly difficult decision, I ultimately determined that with the additional guardrails agreed upon with the legislature, this bill would allow New Yorkers to suffer less–to shorten not their lives, but their deaths.
The bill implements a number of safeguards aimed at curbing accidents or abuse. Patients must have an expected remaining lifespan of less-than-six-months; patient requests must be recorded on a video or audio device; patients must undergo a mental health examination by an expert; and patients must be residents of New York. Additionally, the bill mandates a five-day waiting period between the date the prescription is written and when it is filled, and it grants religious hospice care centers discretion to decline offering the service.
The New York legislature plans to sign the bill into law in January 2026. With the expected passage of the act, New York will become the 13th state to pass medical aid in dying legislation. Last month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a similar bill into law. Other states currently considering similar legislation include Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
MADA’s legislative history has been arduous, drawing a fair share of controversy and criticism. The bill was originally introduced in 2015 but never brought to a vote. In 2019, after polling found state residents broadly supported the legislation, the bill was reintroduced, but was again stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catholic leaders in New York have voiced strong opposition to the bill throughout its history. Prior to Hochul’s announcement, the New York State Catholic Conference called the act an “assisted suicide nightmare” that “would be catastrophic for medically underserved communities, including communities of color, as well as for people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.”
“This new law signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable but is encouraged by our elected leaders,” New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a response statement.
Conversely, the bill’s expected passage has drawn praise from other political and social leaders in the state. Joining in Hochul’s announcement, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal called the governor’s announcement a historic moment, stating:
This agreement on Medical Aid in Dying is a monumental victory for every New Yorker who has wished to peacefully end their suffering from a terminal illness … [W]e owe a deep debt of gratitude to those afflicted with a terminal illness and their families, who shared the heart-wrenching details of their end-of-life decision making in the hopes of improving the options for future generations. New York is a state of dignity and compassion for New Yorkers at all stages of life, and today’s announcement proves just that.
