NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law, legalizing medical assistance in dying for terminally ill state residents after more than a decade of legislative battles in the state Capitol. New York becomes the 14th U.S. jurisdiction — joining 13 states and the District of Columbia — to authorize the practice.
The law permits mentally competent adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to request life-ending medication. It takes effect Aug. 6.
To qualify, patients must make multiple requests — both verbal and written — and undergo assessments by two independent physicians. Those steps are designed to ensure the decision is informed and voluntary.
Days after Hochul signed the bill, a judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the law, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing. The dismissal cleared the final legal obstacle to implementation.
New York joins Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico and Montana, along with Washington, D.C. in authorizing the practice.
Advocates spent more than 10 years pushing the measure through multiple legislative sessions, arguing that terminally ill individuals should control the timing and manner of their death. Opponents raised concerns about patient safety and coercion.
Hospitals, hospices and individual practitioners across New York must now comply with the new framework when it takes effect in August.
