New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she will sign legislation allowing medically assisted suicide for terminally ill residents, clearing the way for the practice to become legal in the state early next year.
In a written statement released Wednesday, Hochul said she reached an agreement with state lawmakers to enact the measure, which would apply to terminally ill New Yorkers estimated to have fewer than six months to live.
She wrote that the bill, with agreed-upon amendments, will be passed in January and signed, with the law taking effect six months later.
"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," Hochul said.
Hochul cited her mother's death from ALS in explaining her decision, saying, "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 legislation previously passed by the legislature included protections intended to prevent coercion and to ensure that no doctor or religiously affiliated health facility would be required to participate.
Hochul said additional safeguards were added under the agreement, including a mandatory five-day waiting period between when a prescription is written and filled.
Other provisions include a required mental health evaluation, an audio or video recording of the patient's oral request and a prohibition on witnesses or interpreters who could benefit financially from the patient's death.
The law would limit eligibility to New York residents, require an in-person physician evaluation, allow religiously oriented hospice providers to opt out and classify violations as professional misconduct.
The effective date was set six months after signing to allow the Department of Health to establish regulations and give health care facilities time to prepare.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal called the agreement historic, saying, "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."
He added, "This bill is not about ending life, it's about shortening death."
The organization Compassion and Choices reports there are now 13 states that allow medically assisted suicide.
Jim Mishler ✉
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