New York Democrats Greenlight Assisted Suicide
Democrats in the New York Legislature approved a bill on Monday that gives individuals with terminal illnesses the right to end their own lives, known as medical aid in dying (MAID). The New York State Senate approved…
Democrats in the New York Legislature approved a bill on Monday that gives individuals with terminal illnesses the right to end their own lives, known as medical aid in dying (MAID).
The New York State Senate approved S138, or the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” which allows those with incurable illnesses to be prescribed medication to “hasten the patient’s death,” according to the bill’s text. The legislation will now head to Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk, and if enacted, New York will join 11 other states and the District of Columbia with similar assisted suicide laws.
“It’s not about hastening death, but ending suffering,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal, according to ABC News. Hoylman-Sigal did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
The bill was approved by the Senate with a 35-27 vote, with no Republicans supporting it and six Democrats joining the opposition. In April, the State Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 81-67, also with no Republican votes in favor.
New Yorkers who are expected to die within six months, as confirmed by two doctors, would be able to request lethal medications, according to the bill’s text. Two witnesses must sign the request to confirm that the patient has decision-making capacity and is acting voluntarily, without any coercion.