NYCLU on Gov. Hochul’s Pledge to Sign Medical Aid in Dying Act

NEW YORK – Governor Hochul announced today that she reached an agreement with lawmakers to sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act (A136/S138) into law. Once signed, the legislation will give people living with terminal illnesses the option to request, through a tightly regulated process, medication they can administer themselves to transition peacefully. This will afford people with terminal illnesses a degree of control over how their life will end. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union released the following statement attributable to Executive Director Donna Lieberman:

“New Yorkers living with terminal illnesses deserve the dignity to die peacefully, on their own terms, and at their own time. By enacting medical aid in dying, New York is adopting an established and trusted medical practice that is an important option in end-of-life care, like hospice and palliative care.

“While the late amendments to the legislation lessen patient autonomy, this is a huge step forward for compassion and dignity in New Yorkers’ final moments of life.”

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