The New York State Assembly passed an Assisted Suicide bill (A136/S138) that amends the state’s public health law to allow a terminally ill adult with a prognosis of six months or less to be prescribed a medication that would cause death.
The bill passed 81-67 after four hours of debate. A bill needs 76 votes to pass. Every Republican and 20 Democrats voted against this legislation. Two physicians would need to agree that the person has the mental capacity to qualify. A physician is not required to be present when the lethal dose is taken.
"The NYS Conservative Party unequivocally opposes assisted suicide. It is extraordinarily dangerous for governments to involve themselves in the life-and-death decisions of innocent people. If terminally ill New Yorkers wish to enter hospice, they have every right to. There is no need for Dr. Kevorkian type businesses -- aka 'Doctor Death' -- in New York,” said Chairman Gerry Kassar.
"Canada went down this slippery path, and the results have been chilling-what began as a 'compassionate option' has become a bureaucratic nightmare and a moral disaster. New York will regret following suit,” Kassar added
South Shore Press spoke with Jessica Rodgers, Coalitions Director for the Patients Rights Action Fund, “There is almost no oversight. After the patient receives the prescription, the state washes their hand of that patient. There's no follow-up to ensure that they maintain capacity to make this decision.”
“Everything in the law is done for the anonymity of the patients and the prescribers and makes it as challenging as possible to investigate much less prosecute abuse,” Rodgers added.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said, “This radical legislation, driven by Governor Hochul’s Far Left allies, normalizes the termination of human life under the guise of ‘compassion,’ putting the elderly, disabled, and terminally ill at risk of coercion and despair.”
“Instead of investing in palliative care, mental health support, and life-affirming resources for those facing terminal illness, this legislation offers an immoral shortcut that devalues human life. It sends a chilling message to our seniors and disabled communities that their lives are expendable, said Stefanik.
What are the potential abuses and pit falls?
“In Oregon, we see diabetes consistently listed as one of the qualifying conditions. Anorexia nervosa, which is a mental health condition, has been used in Colorado and Oregon,” Rodgers said.
“What's important to note is that the doctors who have prescribed lethal cocktails for these treatable conditions have not been sanctioned. In practice, if you're not receiving treatment for anorexia, then certainly that, and other conditions, can be considered imminently fatal,” said Rodgers. “There is no requirement for treatment.”
Rodgers described a case study in 2024 for a woman in Oregon with a diagnosis of early Alzheimer's. She chose to stop eating and drinking for five days. She found a prescriber in Oregon who said, well, your death is imminent because you're not eating or drinking. He prescribed her lethal drugs under Oregon's law, which is the law that New York is modeled after.
In Canada, they initially started with very similar frameworks that New York is considering. A few years later, they did a study to project how much money they would save if they expanded the bill.
“After that report came back, they expanded it. They now have two tracks. If you have what is considered to be a terminal condition, you can apply and get euthanasia within 24 hours,” Rodgers said. “And, if you have any manner of disability, then you qualify under track two.”
Disability advocates in continue to be vocal in opposition. The New York Association on Independent Living, the National Council on Independent Living, the National Council on Disability, the Center for Disability Rights, and “the list just goes on and on and on and on with these tremendous advocates who understand the unique threat that this kind of policy poses for their communities,” Rodgers concluded.