By Katelyn Cordero, 12/18/2025
ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s tortured decision to sign legislation that will allow some terminally ill New Yorkers to obtain life-ending medications caps a contentious, decade-long debate over the issue.
But the governor’s move was blasted by the Catholic Church and even sparked blowback from aid-in-dying advocates due to additional restrictions Hochul insisted on adding to the law.
The final deal, which limits access to patients with less than six months to live, includes some controversial safeguards that advocates fought and say will make it the most restrictive such measure in the country. Thirteen states now allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medications for terminally ill patients, with Illinois enacting such legislation last week.
The Catholic governor said she wrestled with the decision for weeks, but ultimately spoke with advocates — some of whom were terminally ill — whose personal stories swayed her to sign the measure.
“I can’t stand here — even as a Catholic — and say I can’t allow someone else to do something that I perhaps would not do. I cannot stand in their way,” Hochul said to POLITICO on Wednesday. “I’m hoping that [our faith leaders] give me some grace to pray for me — as all of them said they would do — as we continue to focus on issues affecting the living.”
After weeks of negotiations, Hochul struck a deal with the bill’s chief sponsors — Assemblymember Amy Paulin and Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, both Democrats — that includes some of the toughest safeguards in the country. Changes to the controversial measure need to be approved by the state Legislature and then sent back to Hochul for her signature.
Some of the new guardrails — which Paulin and Hoylman-Sigal fought to keep out of the initial bill — include a residency requirement, a requirement that patients submit a video or audio request for the lethal medication, and a five-day waiting period between when a prescription is written and when it’s filled.
The new law also will require patients seeking aid in dying [assisted suicide/euthanasia] to get evaluated by two doctors and undergo a mental health screening with a psychologist or psychiatrist. Additionally, anyone who stands to benefit from a patient’s death financially will be barred from serving as a witness or interpreter for their request for the medication.
The governor also delayed implementation of the bill by six months to allow time for the state Department of Health to draft regulations and ensure that health care facilities and providers are educated and trained on how it will work.
Proponents of the bill say they will be watching to ensure that the guardrails don’t impede access. Corinne Carey, senior campaign director of Compassion & Choices — a group that fought for more than a decade to pass the bill — said she was frustrated to see new proposals aired by the governor that were not an issue for stakeholders who weighed in during the legislative process.
“The video or audio testimonial doesn’t exist in any other state, and no other state has reported problems,” Carey said in an interview. “I understand what the governor is saying about needing comfort to know that someone’s making the right decision, but I have sat beside people their whole lives, and there were sufficient safeguards in the bill.
“I hope that she is right, that this will not present an insurmountable barrier for people who need this option,” Carey added.
While Hochul has split from the Catholic Church and other religious groups in the past over her support for abortion access, her stamp of approval on the Medical Aid in Dying bill is expected to create a deep rift in her relationship with some of the state’s most influential faith leaders.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan issued scathing remarks on Wednesday, condemning Hochul for creating a “culture of death” in New York. He implored the governor to veto the measure and instead invest in hospice and palliative care.
“This new law signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders,” Dolan and the Bishops of New York State said in a statement.
“Tragically, this new law will seriously undermine all of the anti-suicide and mental health care investments Governor Hochul has made through her tenure.”
Religious groups aren’t the only ones speaking out against Hochul this week. The Patients’ Rights Action Fund, which lobbied against the measure, claims the amendments fall short of what is necessary to prevent abuse or coercion.
“The amendments added that try to address the serious dangers that come with legalizing assisted suicide do nothing to protect people who deserve care and support from the state and their medical teams,” Matt Vallière, president of the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, said in a statement. “There is no true accountability to protect patients from potential harm, abuse, or coercion.”
The path forward with Hoylman-Sigal on his way to serve as Manhattan borough president in January, the amended bill will have to be introduced by one of his colleagues in the Senate.
Paulin said she does not have official language, but the details of the bill have been agreed on, and she is confident it will make it through the next steps without problems.
During the Legislative session, the two made many concessions on the bill to ensure its passage, but fought to remove the residency requirement and a mental health assessment, which ultimately were added in at the final hour.
Even so, they expressed satisfaction with where the tortured process to get the bill across the finish line finally ended up.
“I feel good about the amendments, particularly since the governor was negotiating in a way that was to protect New Yorkers from any abuses that might arise from medical aid in dying,” Hoylman-Sigal said of the bill. “I think she looked at other jurisdictions and experiences in medical aid in dying and came up with these compromises that I think are common sense.”
Paulin, who has been part of the fight for nearly a decade, was emotional on Wednesday. She said she is eager to reintroduce the amended measure in January at the start of the session.
“I’m overwhelmed, I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience,” she said to POLITICO. “It’s just unbelievable that we’re able to do this. I feel very proud that New Yorkers will now be able to avail themselves of this opportunity if they need it.”