Medical Aid in Dying law takes effect in N.Y., allowing terminally ill adults to end their lives

A law taking effect Wednesday allows terminally ill adults to request a doctor to prescribe them lethal medication.

The Medical Aid in Dying law, which some call physician-assisted suicide, was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in February. 

The law applies to "mentally capable" patients who have six months or less to live, as confirmed by two independent physicians. 

There are many safeguards, lawmakers say. Patients must undergo a mental health evaluation, make both a written and verbal request and wait at least five days before a prescription may be filled.

The medication also must be self-administered to ensure the decision is voluntary. 

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, who sponsored the bill, called Wednesday a historic day.

"Beginning today, terminally ill New Yorkers facing unimaginable suffering have the comfort of knowing they have one more compassionate option available to them," she said in a statement. "This law is about dignity, autonomy, mercy and respecting deeply personal end-of-life decisions."

Paulin's sister died from ovarian cancer. Paulin said she "experienced pain so overwhelming that she begged for death."

She said many people who qualify for "Medical Aid in Dying" won't take the medication, but having the choice can be comforting. 

The bill was originally passed by the state Legislature in June 2025, but several provisions were added before Hochul signed it. Those revisions included the five-day waiting period, a requirement for an audio or video recording by the patient requesting the medication, a mental health evaluation and barring any financial beneficiary from serving as a witness for the request. 

"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," Hochul previously said. 

The measure faced opposition, particularly from the New York Catholic Conference. 

"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," organization officials stated in December. 

Similar legislation is also legal in Washington, D.C., and numerous other states, including New Jersey.