May 20, 2025: Delaware Enacts Medical Aid in Dying

May 20, 2025: Governor Matt Meyer signed the “Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Act” into law today, making Delaware the 12th jurisdiction to legalize medical aid in dying. The House and Senate had passed the legislation earlier this Spring. The new law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026 at the latest, unless the required regulations can be promulgated sooner.

Gov Meyer said “This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms without unnecessary pain and surrounded by the people they love the most”.

Last year the same bill was approved by the legislature also, only to vetoed by the former governor.

April 29, 2025: Assembly Passes Medical Aid in Dying

April 29, 2025:  The New York State Assembly passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act (A136) Tuesday by a vote of 87–61, the last step of a two-day process. On Monday, the bill was taken up by both the Health Committee and the Codes committee, passing both.

On Tuesday morning, the bill sponsors held a press conference, while the Rules Committee passed the bill and sent it to the floor.

The Assembly began considering the bill shortly after noon. Debate lasted nearly five hours, with yellow-shirted advocates glued to their seats in the gallery.

The nature of the debate was this: individual legislators would pose questions to the bill sponsor, Amy Paulin. Legislators supporting the bill tended to ask questions whose answers outlined the general benefits, features, and safeguards in the bill. Opponents asked detailed questions about features that they thought were inadequate or would have objectionable results. After a series of questions and answers, the legislator would switch to stating their assessment of the bill and how they planned to vote.

The voting began, with legislators casting their votes electronically from their seats. During this process, some legislators took floor time to explain the reasons for their vote. A surprise at the end was that five legislators were allowed to cast their vote by videoconference.

In the greater Capital region, most Democrats voted in favor: Assemblymembers Barrett, McDonald, Romero, Shrestha, Steck, and Woerner. Assemblymember Santabarbara voted against the bill.

No Republicans voted in favor of the bill, despite the fact that several had indicated that they would vote in favor. It seems as though the Republican leadership demanded that their members vote against the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker

At the beginning of last year, it seemed as though Speaker Carl Heastie was blocking the bill from moving forward. As the campaign unfolded this year, Speaker Heastie was acting more favorably. He became a champion of the bill, and without his special efforts the bill would not have come up and passed.

January 14, 2025: Campaign Kickoff and Lobby Day

January 14, 2025: Advocates from around the state came to the Capitol today for the Kick Off of the 2025 campaign to enact the Medical Aid in Dying Act. They first gathered in the Legislative Office Building, and small groups delivered information to legislators’ offices, talking with legislators and staff when possible.

Today was also the day of the Governor’s State of the State address, held in the Egg. Advocates moved to the Concourse in the Empire State Plaza, to show our presence to all the legislators as they walked by. Along with people from other groups, the medical-aid-in-dying group was permitted only on one side of hallway.

Despite a noisy and hectic situation, some lawmakers stopped to greet the advocates and others waved as they passed by.

November 29, 2024: End of Life Bill in the U.K.

November 29 2024: The British House of Commons approved an end-of-life bill for England and Wales on its second reading, 330–275. The bill still needs to pass through committees and other steps to achieve final approval. Interestingly, the bill was submitted as a private members bill, not by a government minister. Only by good luck in a random drawing was it chosen to receive a full debate and vote.

Two key features of the bill make it similar to medical-aid-in-dying laws in the U.S. — and different from related laws in Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands. These are: (1) to be eligible, a patient must be expected to die within six months, and (2) the patient must self-administer the provided substance. However, the procedure is more complicated than in the U.S., with every case required to be reviewed by a judge.

Especially interesting is how the assistance is to be provided under the law. Rather than being based on medication only, there will be a list of “approved substances” that may be used. The list, which is to be specified by government regulations, may include “drugs and other substances”.

The law requires a doctor to be present during the assisted death. The doctor may “prepare a medical device which will enable that person to self-administer the substance” and may “assist that person to ingest or otherwise self-administer the substance”.

The law is clear that ingestion is not the only possible method of self-administering the substance. Thus, intravenous self-administration of a lethal drug (which is an established practice in Switzerland) seems to be well within the vision of the law. Other methods that exist or may be developed may also be available.

May 7, 2024: Spring Lobby Day

May 7, 2024: More than 65 advocates from around the state came to Albany for the Spring Lobby Day organized by Compassion & Choices NY. In the morning the theme was “engage with everyone”. Some advocates rode the elevators in the Legislative Office Building and spoke with a captive audience about medical aid in dying. Others lined the tunnel hallway between the LOB and the Capitol and did the same.

In the afternoon a press conference was held outside the Senate lobby. The main speakers were Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (the number 2 sponsor in the Senate), Dr. Ronald Menzin (who led the Medical Society of the State of New York to formally support the bill), and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (the prime sponsor in the Assembly.)

Also speaking were legislators who are cosponsoring the bill and leaders from New York UU Justice, Planned Parenthood, the League of Women Voters, and End of Life Choices New York.

At the end of the day, the Governor’s health policy team sat down with four doctors and six advocates in the Governor’s reception hall. The doctors presented the supporting case for the bill, and the Governor’s team asked questions.

(Special thanks to Todd Cross, volunteer photographer, for photos on this day.)

The final day for the legislative session is scheduled for June 7, and advocates and supporters will be busy until the bill passes.

2024 Press Conference and Lobby Day

January 16, 2024: Kicking off the 2024 campaign to enact the Medical Aid in Dying Act, supporters from around the state gathered today in Albany to participate in a press conference and lobby day. At the press conference, which was led by Corinne Carey of Compassion & Choices NY, the bill sponsors Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Amy Paulin said they were making passage of the Medical Aid in Dying Act in 2024 their top legislative priority.

 

Senator Hoylman-Sigal displayed the new report of a NY Bar Association task force that recommends that the Association support the bill. In addition, 11 other legislative cosponsors of the bill spoke strongly in its favor, as did a number of advocates from around the state.

Before and after the press conference, advocates broke into groups and visited more than 20 legislators’ offices to seek their support for the bill. In the morning, Senator Sean Ryan (Buffalo area) agreed to become a cosponsor. Later, a group of Albany-area advocates went to Senator Breslin’s office and spoke with his chief of staff. [Update: Senator Breslin became a sponsor of the bill one week later. Thank you Senator!]

 

Because the Governor unveiled the state budget in the Capitol the same morning, press coverage of our press conference was thin.

  • A video of the press conference is on the C&C NY Facebook site HERE .
  • A news report on Medical Aid in Dying featuring an interview with supporter Nancy Murphy was broadcast by WWNY Watertown.
  • A news report with video was broadcast by NEWS10 Albany.

January 10, 2024:  Helping to Pass Medical Aid in Dying for New York

Wednesday, January 10, 2024
1:30–3:00 pm
Colonie (William K. Sanford) Town Library, Stedman Room
629 Albany Shaker Rd, Loudonville, NY 12211  Map

Registration is required by the Library:  https://colonielibrary.libcal.com/event/11647254

The New York State 2024 legislative session begins in January.

Support by legislators for the Medical Aid in Dying Act has grown in recent years, and last June it appeared that the bill was close to passing. Now, a concerted effort is needed to pass the bill in 2024.

If you want medical aid in dying to be available as an option for you in the future, come to this meeting to review what the bill will do and how you can help get it passed. No experience is required. Bring a friend. The bill won’t pass without the help of people like you!

The main speaker will be Corinne Carey, NY & NJ Campaign Director for Compassion & Choices.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required (see above). No recording will be available.

Lobby Day 2023

April 24, 2023: More than 60 supporters from around the state gathered in Albany today to participate in Lobby Day 2023. Dressed all in black with yellow scarves or accents, they began a silent March to End Needless Suffering in the Legislative Office Building at 11:00AM. The march continued into the Capitol building, going up and down escalators, stairs, and elevators, and snaking through ornate hallways.

Reaching the Great Western Staircase just before noon, they lent their presence to a Press Conference led by Corinne Carey. House bill sponsor Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Senate sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal announced that they were intensifying their efforts to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act this year. Five supporters told their personal stories of loved ones’ lives ending in suffering in New York, and one supporter said she had moved to Oregon with her husband so that he could die peacefully under that state’s Death with Dignity Act.

The afternoon was devoted to visiting lawmakers’ officies, asking for their support and cosponsorship of the bill. A large group of constituents visited Assemblymember Fahy’s office, and an even larger group of constituents visited Senator Breslin’s.

For further information, see:

  • Videos of the March and the Press Conference are on the CompassionandChoicesNewYork Facebook site HERE
  • TV Video and Print coverage by WTEN Albany
  • TV Video and Print coverage by WENY Elmira
  • Press Release by Compassion and Choices HERE

2023 Campaign Kickoff and Press Conference

January 17, 2023: The 2023 legislative campaign to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act in New York opened today with a rally and press conference in the Capitol Building.

The event was led by Compassion & Choices’ New York Campaign Director Corinne Carey, and it featured the sponsors of the bills: Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Senator Brad Holyman-Sigal. They were joined by other lawmakers and advocates from around the state.

     

News outlets carried interesting and varied video reports:

  • Locally, NEWS 10 (WTEN) included an interview with supporter Cassandra Johnston (Clifton Park) and the remarks of Assemblymember Anna Kelles (Ithaca area). The video can be seen at NEWS10 .
  • Also, NEWS CHANNEL 13 (WNYT) included interviews with Corinne Carey and supporters Barbara Thomas (Saratoga) and Cassandra Johnston. See NEWS13 .
  • Finally, from Elmira, WENY included an interview with supporter Stacey Gibson (Hudson Valley) and the remarks of Senator Brad Holyman-Sigal (Senate Sponsor, Manhattan). See WENY .

January 11, 2023:  Legalizing Medical Aid in Dying in New York — A Community Conversation

Wednesday, January 11, 2023
2:00–4:00 pm
William K. Sanford (Colonie) Town Library, Stedman Room  Map
629 Albany Shaker Rd, Loudonville, NY 12211

Corinne Carey

Medical Aid in Dying provides an option for a peaceful and humane death to avoid suffering in end-of-life situations. Following a procedure with numerous safeguards, a physician can write a prescription for a life-ending medication that an individual can take. Usually this is done at home. First available in Oregon, it is now legal in ten states, including New Jersey, Vermont, and Maine. While only a modest number of people actually take the medicine, many more benefit from knowing that it can be available.

The main speaker will be Corinne Carey, Senior New York Campaign Director for Compassion & Choices. Come to find out what the bill would do and what it will take to make New York the next state to authorize this compassionate end-of-life option. Bring a friend and spread the word.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

Register with the library HERE or by calling 518-810-0314.

Lobby Day 2022

April 27, 2022: A Rally and Press Conference organized by Compassion & Choices NY was held today in the Legislative Office Building. Among the speakers were Assemblymember Amy Paulin (the Assembly sponsor of the Medical Aid in Dying Act) and Assemblymember Richard Gottfried (chairman of the Assembly Health Committee). Also speaking was Senator Diane Savino (the Senate sponsor of the Act).

Family members of deceased advocates presented very moving stories and lit candles for their loved ones, and Corinne Carey and Amanda Cavanaugh closed the candle-lighting tribute (above, right).

A seven-minute TV news report on the rally was presented on “Capital Tonight” (Spectrum News 1), featuring an interview with advocate Daren Eilert and Campaign Director Corinne Carey. It can be seen HERE .

Also, a press-release account of the event is presented on the Compassion & Choices website HERE .

April 5, 2022:  Advance Planning for Health Care — Medical and Legal Considerations

David Pratt, M.D. and Rev. Dave Munro, Esq.

Materials from the Meeting

The slides presented by Dr. Pratt are available in our library HERE , in PDF format.

The slides presented by Rev. Dave Munro, Esq. are available in our library HERE , in PDF format.

Also, a document titled “Advance Health Care Directives in New York” by Dave Munro, which is a companion to his presentation, is available in our library HERE , in PDF format.

Unfortunately, a video of the program is not available.

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 — 4:00–5:30 pm  (Opens 5 mins early)
Online Zoom Meeting
Advance Registration is Necessary

It’s time to think about Advance Directives again!

Making health care decisions when you are ill is difficult enough, but you also need to plan in advance for situations (such as being in an I.C.U.) when you cannot make them yourself. These plans get embodied in Advance Directives, which include Living Wills, Health Care Proxies, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, and Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST).

A recent New York Times article by Dr. Daniela Lamas (in our library HERE ) points out the difficulties for patients and their doctors that can be caused by directives drawn up years ago. These difficulties arise because people’s ideas and circumstances change over time, as do laws and procedures.

If you prepared advance directives some years ago, it makes sense to review them and make changes as appropriate.

If you or other family members don’t have advance directives, it’s time to learn about them and take some action. And keep in mind that advance directives are important for people of all ages and health conditions, not just the elderly or the sick, because accidents and other unexpected things happen.

David Pratt, M.D. and Rev. Dave Munro, Esq. are long-time members of Death with Dignity–Albany. With a doctor and a lawyer sharing their knowledge and insights about advance directives, there will be lots to learn. The program on April 5 will have a presentation/conversation format, with an opportunity for viewer questions at the end.

This virtual meeting is free and open to the public. To receive a Zoom invitation and meeting link, click on:

 REGISTER at ZOOM 

You will see a registration approval online and then receive an email.

For an overview of end-of-life medical situations and the role of advance planning, the hour-long PBS documentary “Passing On” is highly recommended. It is available for watching (free), with supplementary material, at passing-on.org  This film was shown at our October 2019 meeting.

For more information and background about advance care planning, see the Resources page on our website.

2022 Legislative Campaign Kickoff

January 20, 2022: The 2022 campaign to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act in New York opened today with a virtual rally and press conference led by Compassion & Choices New York Campaign Director Corinne Carey. The online Zoom event had more than 100 participants.

Featured speakers included the lead sponsors of the bill Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester), Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan), and Dr. Jaime R. Torres (President of Latinos for Healthcare Equity). Assemblymember Gottfried (above, right), who is retiring at the end of this year, has been a long-time supporter of the bill and said he will focus on it this year.

A new 30-second online ad (on Youtube, HERE) in memory of Dr. Robert Milch, a long-time advocate who died in 2021, was shown and family members participated in the news conference.

The campaign will include online meetings of volunteer supporters with legislators throughout the Spring, and Death with Dignity–Albany members will be actively participating. Individual volunteers will also contact legislators by telephone, mail, and social media. A rally at the Capitol is being planned for May.

A fuller account of the campaign kickoff is available from Compassion & Choices HERE.

Petitions Delivered to Governor’s Office

January 10, 2022: Compassion & Choices Campaign Director Amanda Cavanaugh and a small group of supporters delivered over 4,000 signed petitions in support of the Medical Aid in Dying Act to the Governor’s Office in the State Capitol.

The petitions were received in the nearby War Room by Matt Pennello, the Director of Cabinet Affairs. Governor Hochul has not yet stated her views on the Act.

Included among the supporters were three Death with Dignity–Albany members (Mary Applegate, Thad Mirer, and Connie Wilbur), plus others from Saratoga and New York City.

An extended account of the event can be found on the Compassion & Choices website, HERE.

October 18, 2021:  Medical Aid in Dying Legislation — Everything You Need to Know

Monday, October 18, 2021 — 4:00–5:00 pm  (Opens 10 mins early)
Online Zoom Meeting
Advance Registration is Necessary

If you are curious about the proposed Medical Aid in Dying Act, you may have many questions. If you already support its passage, you may want to know where it stands now. And if you are trying to convince a friend or a state legislator to support the act, then it really behooves you to know as much as possible about it. This meeting is for you!

Join Thad Mirer (our new Director) and Amanda Cavanaugh, Campaign Manager of Compassion & Choices New York and New Jersey, to learn about the practice of medical aid in dying, including: what it is, who uses it, and how we can work together to ensure that the residents of the Empire State have the same choices at the end of their lives that their neighbors in Vermont, New Jersey and Maine do.

The meeting will begin with a look at the history of the Death with Dignity movement, go on to look at states and countries where MAID is authorized, and then examine some aspects of New York’s pending Medical Aid in Dying Act. The second part will focus on the advocacy happening here in New York, sharing what supporters of this end-of-life option can do now and what to expect throughout the upcoming legislative session. There will be time for Q & A.

You can find a summary of the Medical Aid in Dying Act on the Compassion & Choices website HERE . Our reformatted text of the complete bill introduced early this year is available in our library HERE .

This virtual meeting is free and open to the public. To receive a Zoom invitation and meeting link, click on:

 REGISTER at ZOOM 

You will see an online registration approval and then receive an email. See you there!

No program video is available, but Thad Mirer’s presentation is available in our library HERE , and Amanda Cavanaugh’s is HERE .

September 13, 2021:  A Virtual Event Presented by Compassion & Choices NY

In this Zoom webinar, a panel of experts will discuss the practice of medical aid in dying, which would be authorized with passage of the New York Medical Aid in Dying Act now before state lawmakers. The panel will be moderated by Corinne Carey, who is Senior NY Campaign Director for Compassion & Choices:

  • Joanne Kelly, whose husband utilized Colorado’s medical aid-in-dying law
  • Rev. Richard Gilbert, retired Unitarian Universalist minister from Rochester
  • Dr. Benzi Kluger, professor of neurology and medicine and founding director of the Palliative Care Research Center and Neuropalliative Care Division of the University of Rochester Medical Center
  • Dr. David Pratt, palliative care physician and former Commissioner of Public Health Services for Schenectady County

You will hear stories from individuals who have been directly affected by medical aid in dying, whether as caregivers for dying family members or as medical professionals. In addition, you’ll get a chance to ask questions about their advocacy and the next steps in the campaign to bring this compassionate end-of-life care option to the Empire State.

To register for this event and receive a Zoom link from Compassion & Choices, click:

REGISTER

June 3, 2021:  Getting the Care You Want at the End of Life

Thursday, June 3, 2021 — 2:00–3:00 pm
Online Webinar
Sponsored jointly with End of Life Choices New York
Advance Registration is Necessary

David Leven

Join us for a conversation on how to get your healthcare wishes honored at the end of life. Unfortunately, many patients do not receive medical care in alignment with their wishes. This means that some patients do not receive the care requested or desired, while others undergo interventions that are unwanted or that would not have been wanted had they had sufficient information to make a decision. By understanding how to navigate the medical system at the end of life, your wishes are more likely to be honored.

Join this free Zoom webinar from the comfort of your home. It is co-sponsored by End of Life Choices New York and Death with Dignity–Albany. Registration is handled by Eventbrite, an event organizer.

Click HERE to Register

The webinar will be presented by David C. Leven, who was Executive Director of End of Life Choices New York for 14 years; he is now Senior Consultant to the organization.

A video of the program is available at https://vimeo.com/559243548

New Mexico Enacts Medical Aid in Dying

New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham

April 8, 2021: Governor Lujan Grisham signed New Mexico’s “End of Life Options Act” into law today, making the state the nation’s eleventh jurisdiction to legalize medical aid in dying. (The others are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.) The enactment follows by nearly five years a State Supreme Court ruling that the legality of physician-assisted dying should be resolved in the executive and legislative branches, not in the courts. The law goes into effect June 18.

The Governor said “New Mexicans deserve every single dignity we as a state and as a community can provide them. Dignity in dying — making the clear-eyed choice to prevent suffering at the end of a terminal illness — is a self-evidently humane policy.”

The basic structure of the law follows the model pioneered by Oregon. In New Mexico’s law, the prescribing health care provider may be a qualifying nurse or physician’s assistant as well as a physician. If the individual is in a hospice program, the requirement for having a consulting health care provider is waived (but in all cases at least one of the providers must be a physician.) A waiting period of 48 hours is required between making and filling the prescription, but this is waived if the individual may die during period.

2021 Legislative Campaign Kickoff

January 25, 2021: The 2021 campaign to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act in New York opened today with a virtual rally led by Compassion & Choices Senior New York Campaign Director Corinne Carey. The online Zoom event had more than 150 participants.

2020 Campaign Kickoff

The first speaker was Kim Callinan, president of Compassion & Choices. Speaking next were the lead sponsors of the bill, Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester). In addition, a new Assemblymember, Phara Souffrant Forrest (D-Brooklyn) spoke.

Earlier in the day, Compassion & Choices announced the debut of a new 30-second television ad featuring two New Yorkers, Dr. Jeff Gardere and Jennifer Milich, a terminally ill Buffalo resident, urging the Legislature to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act.

The campaign will include online meetings of volunteer supporters with legislators throughout the Spring, and Death with Dignity–Albany members will be actively participating. Individual volunteers will also contact legislators by telephone, mail, and social media.

A fuller account of the campaign kickoff is available from Compassion & Choices, HERE.

Also, a recording of the event is available on Facebook, HERE (one hour).

September 9, 2020:  Making Decisions While Living Under the Threat of COVID-19

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 — 2:00–3:30 pm
Online Zoom Webinar
Jointly Sponsored with End of Life Choices New York
Advance Registration is Necessary

We are all living under challenging constraints due to the Coronavirus. Many people feel the need to stay home just to feel safe; others are fearful about a COVID-related emergency that would require hospitalization. What’s ‘realistic’ fear & what can we do to manage safely when trying to deal with what’s realistic?

Join us to consider/discuss practical steps to address your safety concerns and to effectively communicate and implement your wishes about medical interventions before a crisis occurs. Opportunities to ask questions will be provided.

Judith Schwarz, PhD, Clinical Director at End of Life Choices New York, is an expert on ethical issues relating to patient self-determination and informed end of life decision-making. She is one of the most experienced and highly respected end-of-life counselors in the country. Judith earned a Ph.D. in nursing research from New York University, an MSN from Lehman College, and an RN from St. Luke’s School of Nursing.

A video of the program is available at https://vimeo.com/462388029