Albany, NY - Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) today announced that the landmark Medical Aid in Dying Act has been signed into law (Ch. 714 of 2025 and Ch. 1 of 2026). The legislation, which she authored and championed, will provide terminally ill New Yorkers with the compassionate option to end unbearable suffering and die peacefully.

“Today is a historic day for New York,” said Assemblywoman Paulin. “The Medical Aid in Dying Act gives New Yorkers the dignity they deserve at the most vulnerable moment in their lives. This legislation is about love, autonomy, and easing needless suffering. I’m proud to deliver this choice to New Yorkers and am profoundly grateful to Governor Hochul for signing this legislation into law.” 

The Medical Aid in Dying Act allows terminally ill adults to request a prescription for medication they can choose to self-ingest to die gently in their sleep. New York will join twelve other states and Washington, D.C., including nearby New Jersey, Vermont, and Maine, in offering this end-of-life option.

The Medical Aid in Dying Act includes a long list of rigorous safeguards to ensure that the law is used appropriately and responsibly, including:

• Patients must be mentally capable adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live, as verified by two independent physicians;
• Patient must have a mental health evaluation to determine that they have decision making capacity;
• Patients must make a verbal request for medical aid in dying, as well as submit a written request;
• Such request must be witnessed by two individuals, neither of whom can be a relative, heir, or affiliated with an owner, operator, or employee of the health care facility where the patient is receiving care;
• The witnesses must have no financial interest in the patient’s estate;
• Patients must record an audio or video request for medical aid in dying;
• A prescription for medical aid in dying medication may not be filled until 5 days after the prescription is written;
• Patients must be capable of self-administering the medication, ensuring that the final act is a voluntary and deliberate choice; and
• Physicians are required to inform patients of all available end-of-life care options, including hospice and palliative care.

These safeguards, modeled after those in place for decades in other states, have proven overwhelmingly effective.

“This issue has always been deeply personal for me,” said Paulin. “My sister died a horrific death from ovarian cancer, and in her final days she was in pain so overwhelming that she begged for death. Her experience is, tragically, the story of so many others. Most people will never choose medical aid in dying, but want the reassurance of having it as a compassionate safeguard that offers comfort, even if it is never used.”

“I'm honored to carry the Medical Aid in Dying Act on behalf of the new Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. Our state must ensure terminally-ill New Yorkers can choose their journey,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “I want to thank Assemblymember Paulin and former Senator Hoylman-Sigal for the tireless work to give these New Yorkers the option to make an end-of-life care decision in a dignified and compassionate manner.”

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said: “Today, New York makes history as Governor Kathy Hochul signs the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law, a monumental victory for terminally ill New Yorkers seeking compassionate options at the end of life. Since we first introduced this legislation nine years ago, I have consistently said this bill is not about ending life—it’s about shortening death and alleviating needless suffering. I am proud that New York will join other states in expanding end-of-life care, giving terminally ill New Yorkers greater autonomy over how much pain and suffering they must endure, and I thank Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, Governor Hochul, and the individuals and families whose courage and stories made this moment possible.”

“This law is the culmination of more than 10 years of determined, consistent effort by thousands of New Yorkers who advocated for this law,” said Corinne Carey, Senior Campaign Director for Compassion & Choices NY/NJ. “I’ve had and continue to have the honor of walking alongside New Yorkers who faced terminal diagnoses with bravery and love – people who opened their homes, their hearts, and often their final months to this movement. I am grateful that Governor Hochul listened to the voices of people whose lives and deaths were directly affected,” Carey said. “And now, the next phase of the work begins. We must ensure that every New Yorker – no matter where they live, the resources they have, or their familiarity with the healthcare system – can understand, trust, and access this option if it is what they choose.”

David Leven, Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Consultant, End of Life Choices New York, said, “Governor Hochul's signing of the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law will ensure that compassionate relief for suffering, terminally ill patients will be available.  Assemblymember Amy Paulin, the lead sponsor of the Assembly bill, is largely responsible for passage of the bill. Her tireless, relentless and vigorous advocacy for the bill over a decade resulted in yearly increases in the number of sponsors of the bill. This had such a positive impact that ultimately the legislative leaders also became sponsors of the bill, for which they too deserve much credit. Governor Hochul is to be praised for her compassion for dying patients for which we are very grateful.”

“Today marks a major milestone for New Yorkers who believe in autonomy and dignity at the end of life,” said Mandi Zucker, Executive Director of End of Life Choices New York. “Thanks in large part to the tireless leadership and advocacy of Assemblymember Amy Paulin, Governor Hochul has forever ensured that terminally ill New Yorkers now have the option to die in a manner consistent with their own values and wishes. On behalf of the countless individuals and families who have worked for years to make this law a reality, we thank Assemblymember Paulin for listening to the voices of New Yorkers and working so hard in Albany to fight for this bill. End of Life Choices New York is already focused on educating clinicians and the public about medical aid in dying so that this option is accessible to all who choose it. We look forward to continuing our work to uphold choice, compassion, and dignity at the end of life for New York residents and again thank Governor Hochul for her signature today.”

“I want to thank the extraordinary advocates who have spent over a decade working tirelessly by my side to make this day possible,” Paulin added. “Their perseverance never wavered. I am also deeply grateful to my Senate co-sponsors, Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Senator Gustavo Rivera, for their partnership throughout this journey. With this law, New York will become the 13th state, plus Washington, D.C., to embrace compassion at the end of life. This milestone will bring comfort to so many across our state.”

Former State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sponsored the companion bill in the Senate through the 2025 Legislative Session. State Senator Gustavo Rivera sponsored the amendment bill in the 2026 Legislative Session. Medical Aid in Dying will go into effect six months after enactment.