NY Governor Kathy Hochul Seeks Changes to ‘Nightmare’ Assisted Suicide Bill
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is requesting substantial changes to a “nightmare” bill that would turn New York into a destination state for physician-assisted suicide.
The New York Assembly approved the Medical Aid in Dying Act (AB 136) on April 29 in a 81-67 vote. The state Senate subsequently passed the bill on June 9 in a 35-27 vote.
The bill permits individuals with “an incurable and irreversible illness, with six months or less to live,” to kill themselves with a doctor’s help via a lethal cocktail of drugs.
Importantly, the bill currently contains no residency requirement, allowing terminally ill individuals from out of state to come to New York to end their lives. This provision would essentially ensure all Americans could access physician-assisted suicide.
The New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide has raised several additional concerns about the legislation, warning the bill would:
- Allow terminally ill persons to be prescribed lethal drugs without an in-person visit with a physician.
- Make New York into an assisted suicide tourism state.
- Not require any psychiatric assessment of a person requesting state-sanctioned suicide.
- Open the door to future expansions of state-sanctioned deaths, which has occurred in Canada.
To date, Gov. Hochul has not publicly indicated whether she intends to sign the bill into law, only saying she will decide before the end of the year.
“I hear from a lot of people on [the issue of assisted suicide]; it is strong,” she said in September. “There are strong views on both sides of the spectrum, intense views on this, and I’m conscious of that, and it’s gonna be a very weighty decision on me between now and the end of the year.”
The governor has reportedly been seeking changes to the bill behind the scenes. According to North County Public Radio, the governor wants to:
- Add a requirement people video their requests for physician-assisted suicide.
- Create a seven-day waiting period for patients requesting physician-assisted suicide.
- Require patients wanting to end their lives undergo a psychiatric assessment.
- Include a residency requirement in the bill.
It’s unclear whether the governor intends to sign the bill if the state Legislature rejects her proposed changes. However, the fact the governor is requesting changes in the first place, rather than rejecting the bill wholesale, may indicate she is leaning towards signing it.
Bob Bellafiore, a spokesperson for the New York State Catholic Conference, said the governor’s proposed amendments are “basically deck chairs on the Titanic.”
“They don’t change the fundamental truth that this bill sanctions suicide, diminishes medicine forever and is guaranteed to lead to tragedies, mistakes and unintended consequences that the governor will be responsible for,” he added.
On December 3, hundreds of concerned New Yorkers gathered across Albany, Tonawanda, Syracuse and Manhattan – with 75 assembling outside the governor’s mansion – for candlelight vigils urging Gov. Hochul to veto the bill.
“New Yorkers are recognizing that assisted suicide isn’t compassion — it’s abandonment,” Jason McGuire, executive director of New York Families Action, told the crowd.
“Our vigil tonight shows that people from every background want the state to choose care, not killing. A sleeping giant is awakening on this issue.”
If you live in New York, please consider contacting the governor, respectfully urging her to veto AB 136. You can also sign the New York State Catholic Conference’s pre-filled message asking Gov. Hochul to veto the bill.
To speak with a family help specialist or request resources, please call us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
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Related articles and resources:
Counseling Consultation & Referrals
A Godly Perspective on End-of-Life Decisions
Understanding God’s Plan for the End of Life
Answers to Common Questions About Physician-Assisted Suicide
The Problem With Ending It All: A Response to Physician-Assisted Suicide
Aging Loved Ones and Physician-Assisted Suicide
NY Governor Kathy Hochul Must Veto ‘Nightmare’ Assisted Suicide Bill
NY Legislature Passes ‘Nightmare’ Bill Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide
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