{"id":73456,"date":"2025-12-17T16:40:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T16:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/73456\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T16:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T16:40:07","slug":"hochul-to-sign-new-yorks-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-in-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/73456\/","title":{"rendered":"Hochul to sign New York\u2019s Medical Aid in Dying bill in January 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/a> announced her support Wednesday for a revised version New York\u2019s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) bill, legislation<\/a> that would give terminally ill patients in the state with six months or less to live the option to end their lives using a prescribed lethal cocktail of drugs.<\/p>\n

The governor will not sign the version of the MAID bill that the state Legislature approved earlier this year. Rather, Hochul said, she would ink a revised version of the same legislation, agreed upon with the sponsors and legislative leaders, that will be introduced when the Assembly and state Senate reconvene in January.<\/p>\n

Hochul made the announcement in an Albany Times-Union <\/a>opinion piece on Wednesday, in which she called the bill a way to \u201cspeed up\u201d the dying process for terminally ill New Yorkers who have been professionally diagnosed to have less than six months to live.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said she will pass and sign the bill next month; the law will go into effect six months later.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The governor, whose mother died of ALS, said she spoke to New Yorkers throughout the state who are suffering from terminal illness to help her decide whether or not to approve MAID. She also heard from patients\u2019 families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard from their children, who are watching a parent endure a slow, devastating decline,\u201d she said. \u201cI heard stories of a parent or spouse pleading for an end to the suffering and how difficult it was to reply, \u2018We can\u2019t in New York.’\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she spent time reflecting on religious viewpoints against the practice, opinions she said she both understands and respects.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSo after careful deliberation, I decided to support legalizing medical aid in dying in very specific circumstances and with significant protections included in the law to ensure it is not misused or broadly applied,\u201d she wrote on Dec. 17.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some of those safeguards in the law include allowing individual doctors and religiously affiliated health facilities to decline offering MAID.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Changes to the MAID bill<\/p>\n

The bill\u2019s sponsors, including Assembly Member Amy Paulin of Scarsdale and State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal of Manhattan, agreed to make additional amendments to the bill before the governor approves the legislation.<\/p>\n

Confirmation from a medical doctor that the individual \u201ctruly had less than six months to live,\u201d and from a psychologist or psychiatrist that the patient is capable of making the decision, will now be required, Hochul said.<\/p>\n

She also requested a mandatory five-day waiting period to provide the patient the chance to change their mind, and both a written and recorded oral request to confirm free will is present. <\/p>\n

Anyone who may benefit financially would be disqualified from being a witness or interpreter, Hochul said. Additionally, MAID in New York will only be available to residents of the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI will ultimately sign once the Legislature returns to Albany and approves the amended language,\u201d the governor said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

A \u2018truly historic\u2019 moment<\/p>\n

Paulin said Hochul\u2019s announcement will give many New Yorkers autonomy and dignity at the most vulnerable time in their lives.<\/p>\n

She added that the issue is a personal one.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister died a horrific death from ovarian cancer, and in her final days she was in pain so overwhelming that she begged for death,\u201d the Assembly Member shared. \u201cHer experience is, tragically, the story of so many others. Most people will never choose medical aid in dying, but they want the reassurance of having it as a compassionate safeguard that offers comfort even if it is never used.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"StateState Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton lead a news conference on the Million Dollar Staircase at the New York State Capitol in Albany.Photo courtesy of NYS Senate Media Services<\/p>\n

She thanked advocates and fellow politicians involved in the decade-long effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this law, New York will become the 12th state, plus Washington, DC, to embrace compassion at the end of life,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Hoylman-Sigal said in a media statement that the announcement is a \u201cmonumental victory\u201d for New Yorkers with terminal illness.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSince we first introduced this legislation nine years ago, I have consistently said this bill is not about ending life, it\u2019s about shortening death,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m proud that New York is now the 13th state, along with Washington, DC, that will offer expanded end-of-life care so that terminally ill New Yorkers gain greater autonomy over how much pain and suffering they must endure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robin of Manhattan, whose husband suffered and died from terminal cancer in 2018, said she can understand why patients would opt for MAID.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there are certainly enough safety protocols in place that it\u2019s not like a person can be influenced to make this choice,\u201d she said. At least, it doesn\u2019t sound like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that the governor\u2019s announcement in the Times-Union \u201cread very sound and well thought out.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Sam Mak, also from Manhattan, agreed with the bill.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAllowing a dying person, and his or her family to decide on terminating one\u2019s life is logical, and humane enough, I\u2019d say,\u201d Mak said.\n<\/p>\n

Opponents to MAID react<\/p>\n

Max Rodriguez, manager of government affairs at the Center for Disability Rights in Albany, said it is \u201cdisappointing\u201d that the governor would sign the controversial bill. When looking at the legislation in other states, Rodriguez said many people choose MAID for the comfort of others\u2014not for themselves. He explained that the fear of loss of autonomy such as \u201cbeing a burden on friends, family and caregivers, a worry they\u2019ll live a decrease in quality of life\u201d have been reasons people chose physician-assisted suicide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor is opening Pandora\u2019s box on suicide, creating a system in which some people receive suicide prevention while others are offered a fast track to death,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cIn doing so, the state sends a clear signal that fears about illness, disability and becoming a burden are justified.\u201d<\/p>\n

With healthcare and similar services becoming increasingly difficult to access, the bill is even more concerning, he explained.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when access to healthcare and home and community-based services is increasingly restricted, New York has declared that the preferred response to illness and disability is death rather than care,\u201d Rodriguez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a joint statement with Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Bishops of New York issued a statement saying they are \u201cextraordinarily troubled\u201d by Hochul\u2019s announcement that she will sign the \u201cegregious\u201d bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis new law signals our government\u2019s 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,\u201d the statement read.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They also said the law will undermine anti-suicide and mental healthcare investments that the governor herself made throughout her tenure.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can any society have credibility to tell young people or people with depression that suicide is never the answer, while at the same time telling elderly and sick people that it is a compassionate choice to be celebrated?\u201d the bishops questioned.<\/p>\n

One man from Queens, who cared for two family members who were dying at the same time \u2014 his mother and aunt \u2014 said he does not support MAID, but understands it is a \u201cvery sensitive\u201d subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a caretaker for two family members who died recently from chronic diseases,\u201d said the man, who declined to give his name. \u201cNeither would have accepted this option.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her support Wednesday for a revised version New York\u2019s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71133,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[8545,18372,3932,37089,9,11,10,87,37205],"class_list":["post-73456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-amy-paulin","tag-brad-hoylman-sigal","tag-gov-kathy-hochul","tag-medical-aid-in-dying","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-politics","tag-states-with-maid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}