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.
The New York State Department of Health has released proposed regulations to implement the Medical Aid in Dying Act, an important step toward ensuring that eligible terminally ill New Yorkers can access this option when the law takes effect on August 5, 2026. The regulations provide guidance on key aspects of the law, including eligibility, the request process, self-administration requirements, and provider responsibilities. The Department is currently accepting public comments on the proposed regulations and has announced that additional public information, comprehensive guidance, and implementation resources will be made available in the coming weeks through its website. Please check back for updates as new information becomes available.
You can see information about the regulations and the forthcoming guidance by visiting the Department’s website by clicking this link.
Send a note of gratitude of your own to your elected officials, Assemblymember Paulin, Senator Hoylman-Sigal, and Governor Kathy Hochul.
Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email March 21 2022: Good afternoon! Today I’d like to talk to you about faith and religion. Did you know that the majority of people who identify themselves as adhering to a faith or religious group support giving terminally ill people the peaceful option of medical aid in…
Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email March 14, 2022: Good morning, During my seven years of leading the campaign to improve end-of-life care and expand options, I’ve traveled to every corner of this great state and talked to thousands of New Yorkers covering every demographic and political persuasion. At a time when it…
Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email March 7, 2022: Good morning, Talking about death and dying is really hard. I should know, I’ve been prodding you to talk to me about death and dying for more than 7 years as we’ve worked to pass New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. What’s harder…
Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email February 28, 2022: Good morning, and welcome back to Albany! I hope you had a great weekend, and if you actually took a break last week, I hope it was restful. Today I’d like to share with you why medical aid in dying is not suicide. I’d…
Compassion & Choices New York campaign director Corinne Carey today applauded the New York State Academy of Family Physicians and its Congress of Delegates for voting overwhelmingly to support the New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act (S3151/A2383), sponsored by Senator Diane Savino (IDC-Staten Island) and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester). Prior to this vote, the NYSAFP…
Grief counselor and hospice volunteer Avery Leora Ross was raised with an openness around discussing death and is now helping to expand end-of-life options in her home state of New York. “There’s nothing wrong with being OK with something that you cannot opt out of,” says Avery Leora Ross about death. “I feel like we…
WIVB-4 Buffalo Story Highlights WNY State Legislators Who Refused Request from Dr. Robert Milch – Co-Founder of Buffalo Hospice – To Meet or Talk, As Dr. Milch Was Terminally Ill and Dying Compassion & Choices’ Senior New York Campaign Director Corinne Carey expressed her disappointment with several state legislators from Western New York who refused…
Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email February 14, 2022: It’s hard to escape the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day as we’re surrounded by the marketing of red hearts and chocolate everywhere we turn. But on this day that is meant to celebrate love, let me tell you why New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act…
Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email February 7, 2022: Many of you have asked how medical aid in dying laws are working in the 10 states (+ Washington, D.C.) that have authorized them. We’ve compiled the data from across these jurisdictions and put them in an easy-to-digest format, with links to the sources…
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For New Yorkers facing their final months, weeks, or days with a terminal illness, New York’s Medical Aid in Dying will provide comfort and compassion.