NY Legislature Passes ‘Nightmare’ Bill Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide
The New York Legislature has passed a bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide, sending the bill to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for her signature.
The New York Senate approved the Medical Aid in Dying Act (AB 136) on Monday in an 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. The state Assembly passed the bill on April 29 in an 81-67 vote.
Crucially, the bill contains no residency requirement, opening the door for “terminally ill patients from out of state to come to New York to end their lives,” The New York Times reports. Additionally, The Free Press reports the bill, which has “some of the loosest safeguards in the country,” contains no mandatory waiting period for those requesting Medical Aid in Dying (MAID).
The New York Families Foundation, a Focus on the Family-allied state family policy council, has opposed and testified in opposition to the “deeply misguided” bill, arguing it would “result in the premature deaths of many New Yorkers” if enacted.
The organization has raised several concerns over the legislation, noting it 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.
“Terminal illness is real. Suffering is real. So is health care inequality. So is ableism. While these problems are all very real, state-sanctioned suicide is not the solution to any of them,” the foundation said.
MAID has been legalized in eleven states and the District of Columbia. Other countries, including Canada, have expanded their MAID programs and even proposed legalizing euthanasia for the sole diagnosis of “mental illness.” Over 10,000 Canadians kill themselves via MAID annually, and that number rises every year.
The New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide (NYAAAS) issued a statement after the New York Senate passed the bill.
“The Senate’s approval of this bill is a grave mistake for New York,” the organization said. “It brings our state dangerously close to a public policy that many in the medical, disability, and mental health communities consider deeply flawed and unjust.”
The organization called AB 136’s failure to require MAID candidates receive a psychological evaluation “deeply irresponsible.”
The alliance also reiterated concerns expressed by disability rights advocates who have made clear that “legalizing assisted suicide will disproportionately impact people with disabilities, sending a dangerous societal message that their lives are less valuable.” It added,
The NYAAAS strongly urged Gov. Hochul to veto the legislation and uphold New York’s “commitment to suicide prevention, protect vulnerable communities, and affirm that every life – regardless of disability, age, or diagnosis – is worthy of care, dignity, and protection.”
Likewise, the New York Catholic bishops have strongly opposed AB 136.
The state’s bishops advised AB 136 would “usher in a dangerous new era in our state, turning the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians to ‘do no harm’ on its head and leaving vulnerable individuals – people with disabilities, the elderly, and those in impoverished and medically underserved communities – subject to pressure and coercion to end their lives so as not to be a ‘burden’ to society or an excessive cost to insurance companies.”
The bill would bring about an “assisted suicide nightmare,” warned the New York State Catholic Conference. The bishops also urged Gov. Hochul to veto the bill.
If you live in New York, please consider contacting the governor, respectfully urging her to veto AB 136.
To speak with a family help specialist or request resources, please call us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Focus on the Family offers a one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor free of charge thanks to generous donor support. If you would like to request a consultation with Focus’ Counseling Department, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Mountain Time) or complete our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
Related articles and resources:
Counseling Consultation & Referrals
Understanding God’s Plan for the End of Life
Answers to Common Questions About Physician-Assisted Suicide
Aging Loved Ones and Physician-Assisted Suicide
British Lawmakers Vote to Legalize Assisted Suicide, Tragically Devaluing Life
Canada Will Legalize Euthanasia for Those Struggling With Mental Illness
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