New York legalizes medical aid in dying for terminally ill

Hochul signs bill

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) Law on Feb. 6, 2026, making New York the 13th state — and 14th U.S. jurisdiction — to legalize the practice.

The law takes effect six months after signing, after a preparation period for implementation.

The MAID law has strict guardrails, and according to State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, “this bill is not about ending life, it’s about shortening death.”

Who qualifies under the new law

The law applies to mentally competent, terminally ill adults aged 18 and older who have six months or less to live.

Only New York residents qualify and must meet stringent criteria to be approved for MAID. For instance, patients must self-administer the medication, meaning no one else can give it to them.

Two physicians must independently confirm the patient’s terminal diagnosis and their mental capacity to make an informed decision.

The safeguards aim to make sure each request comes from the patient alone.

Patients must follow a multi-step process

Getting the medication is not quick or simple. A patient must make an oral request and submit a written one.

At least two adults must witness the oral request. The patient’s attending physician must conduct the first evaluation in person.

A second consulting physician must then independently confirm both the diagnosis and the patient’s capacity. Each step must happen before a prescription moves forward.

Hochul added extra safeguards to the bill

Hochul negotiated several additions before signing. Anyone who could benefit financially from the patient’s death cannot serve as a witness or interpreter.

Every patient must go through a mental health evaluation by a psychologist, neurologist, or psychiatrist. The patient’s oral request must be recorded by audio or video and stored permanently in their medical record.

A five-day waiting period sits between when a doctor writes the prescription and when a pharmacy can fill it.

Advocates pushed the bill for nearly a decade

This law did not happen overnight.

Advocates first introduced the bill in the New York Legislature around 2016, and it failed to pass year after year for roughly nine straight sessions.

The version reintroduced in early 2025 finally broke through. The Assembly passed it in April, and the Senate followed in June.

Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal sponsored the bill in the Senate, and Assemblymember Amy Paulin led the effort in the Assembly.

Medical groups gave the bill new momentum

A turning point came in 2025 when major professional organizations threw their weight behind the legislation.

The New York Medical Association and the New York Academy of Family Physicians both endorsed the bill. The New York State Bar Association backed it as well.

Those endorsements gave lawmakers political cover and pushed the bill forward after years of stalling in the Legislature.

The decision was deeply personal for Hochul

Hochul, a practicing Catholic, said the decision weighed on her heavily. Her mother died from ALS, and Hochul spoke publicly about watching her suffer.

She said she had to be careful “not to let her personal circumstances and beliefs color a decision she was making for 20 million New Yorkers.”

Hochul announced in December 2025 that she would sign the bill with amendments, setting the stage for the Feb. 6 signing.

Opponents call the law dangerous

Not everyone celebrated. The New York State Catholic Conference was among the most vocal opponents.

Disability rights groups argued the law does not do enough to protect vulnerable people from being pressured into the decision.

Some Black female lawmakers in both chambers voted against the bill, citing concerns about health disparities in communities of color.

The new Archbishop of New York, Ronald Hicks, took office the same day Hochul signed the bill. His predecessor, Timothy Dolan, had publicly condemned the legislation.

Religious groups split on the issue

The divide over the law cut through religious communities as well. Agudath Israel of America, representing Orthodox Jews, strongly opposed it.

The Catholic Conference called the bill dangerous for patients and vulnerable populations. But not all faith groups stood against it.

The New York State Council of Churches endorsed the bill, and some Reform Jewish congregations publicly supported it.

The split showed that religious opinion on the issue is far from uniform.

Polls show broad public support

Public opinion lines up strongly behind the law.

A 2024 YouGov poll found more than 70 percent of New Yorkers support legalizing medical aid in dying. A separate poll from Death with Dignity put that number at 72 percent.

National Gallup polling has consistently shown roughly seven in 10 Americans favor giving terminally ill patients the option.

Even so, several Democrats in both chambers voted against the bill.

Oregon started this movement in 1994

Oregon paved the way nearly 30 years ago.

Voters there approved the Death with Dignity Act in November 1994, and after surviving legal challenges, the law took effect in 1997.

Oregon voters reaffirmed it that same year, rejecting a repeal measure by a 60-40 margin. Since then, 12 other states and Washington, D.C., have followed.

Illinois signed its own law in December 2025, just weeks before New York.

Regulations due before August deadline

The New York Department of Health now has six months to put regulations in place before the Aug. 5 effective date.

Health care facilities must prepare and train staff for compliance. Individual doctors and private facilities may opt out based on religious or moral beliefs.

Religiously affiliated home hospice providers may also decline to participate, but patients receiving hospice care in their own homes can still access the law.

Any licensed professional who violates the law faces professional misconduct charges.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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