Status of end-of-life legislation
New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A995a/S2445a), sponsored by Assemblymember Amy Paulin and Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, is one of the most important measures before the New York State Legislature in 2024. With 88 co-sponsors representing every corner of New York State, a growing chorus of lawmakers, voters, and civic organizations representing the broad diversity of the Empire State is calling on the legislature to pass the bill.
A new survey shows that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support medical aid in dying by a 72-23% margin. You can read about it here.
We organized an April 9 lobby day at the Capitol, distributing a booklet we created several years ago listing 60 reasons lawmakers should pass New York's aid-in-dying bill, updated using yellow tape to indicate supporters who have died since waiting for the option.
Voters from across the state are joining with Compassion & Choices to raise their voices and urge legislative leaders to lead with love, put families first, and bring the bill to the floor for a vote before the legislative session ends in June. If you support this compassionate bill, click below to take immediate action. If you want to learn more, scan this page for more information or reach out to us by emailing [email protected].
Faced with a terminal diagnosis, New Yorkers deserve the full range of options for care at the end of life, including medical aid in dying. Medical aid in dying allows terminally ill adults to get a prescription they can take to end their life peacefully.
New Yorkers should be free to choose how they live – and when the time comes, how they die. This private, personal decision should belong to all of us – free from government interference.
Medical aid in dying is needed because:
The New York Alliance for Medical Aid in Dying is a coalition combining the resources of Compassion & Choices, Death with Dignity National Center, The Completed Life Initiative, End of Life Choices New York and Death with Dignity–Albany, working together to authorize medical aid in dying in New York State.
If you would like to hear about the latest developments in our campaign to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act, please send us a message by clicking here.
Compassion & Choices New York is building support for the bill. From Buffalo to Long Island, the North Country to Brooklyn and everywhere in between, our staff and volunteers are working to host events and film screenings, participate in public dialogue, and offer workshops on advance planning and end-of-life options to communities across the state.
Learn more:
Two thirds of New Yorkers feel that allowing doctors to legally prescribe lethal drugs to help terminally ill patients end their own lives should be an end-of-life option in the state. See more polling data.
For Patients Access the New York Advance Directive.
End-of-Life Planning Use our step-by-step guide to chart your journey.
Los recursos en Español Los recursos en Español.
COVID-19 Toolkit Get answers to your questions about COVID-19 and end of life care.
Resources for Providers Find resources tailored to the needs of healthcare providers.
