Assembly Passes Medical Aid in Dying Act

Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin today announced that the Assembly has passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which would allow a terminally ill patient to request medication to end their lives peacefully (A.136, Paulin).

“This is about giving individuals autonomy, dignity and choice at the end of their lives,” Speaker Heastie said. “This legislation will give people the ability to choose to go peacefully in their sleep, and ensure there are critical safeguards in place. Thank you to Assemblymember Amy Paulin for her tireless advocacy and hard work on this legislation.” 

“For a decade, we have fought for this compassionate, commonsense legislation,” said Assemblymember Paulin. “Today, we honor the brave advocates we have lost and fulfill a promise to countless New Yorkers who deserve autonomy, dignity, and peace at life’s end. It's time. I’m deeply grateful to Speaker Carl Heastie for his leadership and unwavering commitment to bringing this bill to the floor—it would not have been possible without his support.”

The Medical Aid in Dying Act would provide a mentally competent, terminally ill adult who has been given a prognosis of six months or less to live the ability to request medication from their treating physician for medical aid in dying. The legislation includes safeguards, which would require both an oral request and a witnessed written request for the medication, as well as requiring at least two physicians determine that the patient has the capacity to make an informed decision on this request.

Under this bill, insurers would be prohibited from recommending or providing information on medical aid in dying to patients, including alongside denial of coverage notices for other treatments. Insurers would only be permitted to provide patients with information on medical aid in dying when the patient or their physician expressly requests such information or within general coverage information. Additionally, the legislation would provide legal protections for the patients and their physicians.

Medical aid in dying is already permitted in 10 states, including California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as Washington, D.C.