Medical aid in dying is now authorized in New York. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act on February 6, 2026. The law will take effect on August 5, 2026, expanding end-of-life options for terminally ill New Yorkers and affirming their right to make informed, compassionate decisions at the end of life.
This landmark achievement is the result of more than a decade of advocacy led by Compassion & Choices, alongside allied organizations and hundreds of New Yorkers who shared their stories, raised their voices, and urged lawmakers to act. Together, they helped build the understanding and momentum necessary to pass this long-awaited legislation.
Compassion & Choices extends deep gratitude to Governor Hochul for signing the bill into law, and to the legislative champions who made this moment possible: Assemblymember Amy Paulin, who carried the bill from its original introduction in 2015 through enactment; Senator Diane Savino, who advanced the legislation during key years; Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who shepherded it through passage in both chambers; and Senator Gustavo Rivera, who sponsored the bill at the finish line.
Additional information about implementation, guidance, and access will be posted as it becomes available. Please check back on this page for updates, and visit our events page for information about upcoming educational and community events.
Send a note of gratitude of your own to your elected officials, Assemblymember Paulin, Senator Hoylman-Sigal, and Governor Kathy Hochul.
Advocates for aid-in-dying legislation took their grassroots campaign to the New York State Fair last week. Compassion & Choices New York (C&C) showcased their cause to the record-setting 1.1 million attendees. C&C volunteers had one-on-one conversations with more than 6,000 New Yorkers at its table and generated more than 4,200 postcards from New York voters…
The following email was sent to Poughkeepsie-area supporters. Please feel free to join us at this event: Friend, I’d like to invite you to a Poughkeepsie film screening of How to Die in Oregon, an award-winning documentary that offers a moving portrait of people accessing medical aid in dying. As you know, our campaign to bring…
Every month, Doctors for Dignity Campaign Manager Rebecca Thoman, M.D., sends a bulletin to all Doctors for Dignity. The following message was sent in August 2016: Friend, Last month, the New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP) Congress of Delegates voted to remain neutral on “state or federal legislation regarding aid in dying by…
We sent this message to our New York supporters this week: I’m writing to ask you to join us for one of our most important events of the year. In just a few weeks, Compassion & Choices New York will have a booth at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. Our presence at the…
The following message was sent to our North Country, New York supporters on Monday, June 27: Friend, I’d like to invite you to a Tupper Lake film screening of How to Die in Oregon, an award-winning documentary that offers a moving portrait of people accessing medical aid in dying. As you know, our campaign to…
The following email was sent to our New York supporters on Friday, June 17: Friend, Today marks the end of New York’s 2016 legislative session. As you know, this year we brought lawmakers to the table to negotiate the Medical Aid in Dying Act. Thanks to more than 1300 supporters like you who contacted your…
UPDATE: The bill passed a New York Assembly committee on May 23. Read more here. Dozens of motivated activists gathered at the New York State Capitol in Albany on May 10 for Spring Lobby Day to talk to legislators about why it’s time to authorize medical aid in dying in the Empire State. C&C kicked…
In an historic vote, the Medical Aid in Dying Act won swift passage through the New York State Assembly Health Committee in a 14-11 vote, bringing the people of New York one step closer to having another medical option to reduce suffering at the end of life. The bipartisan vote occurred fewer than two weeks…
New York Campaign Director Corinne Carey sent the following email to our New York supporters this afternoon: Friend, On Tuesday, dozens of Compassion & Choices supporters came to Albany for our Spring Lobby Day and met with nearly one hundred legislators to tell them why medical aid in dying should be authorized here in the…
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