New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she will sign legislation allowing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill individuals, following months of negotiations with state lawmakers that resulted in added amendments to the bill. The measure reached the governor’s desk in June and remained under review while revisions were discussed. With Hochul’s approval, New York is set to become the 13th state, along with Washington, DC, to permit physicians to prescribe life-ending medication to eligible patients. Illinois became the 12th state to enact similar legislation earlier this month.
In a statement released December 17, Hochul said:
“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.”
Under the plan outlined by the governor, the legislation will be signed in January and will take effect six months later. State officials say the delay is intended to allow health agencies time to draft and implement regulatory requirements governing eligibility, medical procedures, and oversight. The bill, referred to by supporters as the “Medical Aid in Dying” measure, allows physicians to prescribe lethal medication to individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a prognosis of six months or less to live.
Prior to the amendments, the proposal faced scrutiny over whether sufficient safeguards were in place. Hochul’s changes include a mandatory five-day waiting period between prescription and dispensing, a recorded oral request from the patient, and a required mental health evaluation conducted by a psychologist or psychiatrist. Additional provisions prohibit individuals who could financially benefit from a patient’s death from serving as witnesses or interpreters, limit eligibility to New York residents, allow religiously affiliated hospice providers to opt out, and classify violations as professional misconduct under state education law.
Religious leaders and advocacy groups have responded publicly. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, speaking in a joint statement with New York’s Catholic bishops, said the 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.” He added, “Tragically, this new law will seriously undermine all of the anti-suicide and mental health care investments Governor Hochul has made through her tenure. How can any society have credibility to tell young people or people with depression that suicide is never the answer, while at the same time telling elderly and sick people that it is a compassionate choice to be celebrated?”
Dolan continued:
“While physician-assisted suicide will soon be legal here in New York, we must clearly reiterate that it is in direct conflict with Catholic teaching on the sacredness and dignity of all human life from conception until natural death and is a grave moral evil on par with other direct attacks on human life. We call on Catholics and all New Yorkers to reject physician-assisted suicide for themselves, their loved ones, and those in their care. And we pray that our state turn away from its promotion of a Culture of Death and invest instead in life-affirming, compassionate hospice and palliative care, which is seriously underutilized.”
Disability advocacy organizations have also raised concerns about the broader policy environment surrounding the law’s implementation. Advocates with the New York Association on Independent Living said the bill was “signed at a time when supports like home care are facing eligibility restrictions and workforce shortages.” Elizabeth McCormick, the group’s Director of Advocacy, stated, “The truth is, no amount of safeguards can protect people with disabilities. When people cannot access the care they need to live, and feel they have no real alternatives, there is no longer a promise of ‘choice.’”
The law’s rollout will place responsibility on state regulators, medical professionals, and oversight bodies to ensure compliance with the new requirements. As New York joins a growing number of jurisdictions with assisted suicide statutes, the policy shift highlights ongoing debates about end-of-life care, regulatory safeguards, and the role of government in overseeing deeply personal medical decisions.
