NYS Assembly passes Medical Aid in Dying bill

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Ten years after the bill was first introduced, the New York State Assembly voted to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act.

"Initially, it was— I don’t want to say a strange concept, but it wasn’t a concept that was embraced by a lot of the members and the community yet. And then slowly, the advocacy community really stepped up their game, came here and worked very hard to convince a lot of members to become sponsors," explained Assemblymember Amy Paulin.

The bill would allow terminally ill adults, with six months or less to live, to request and self-administer medication to die. Before a prescription is given, doctors would have to sign off and conduct a mental health evaluation. 

Ten other states and Washington, D.C. have similar legislation. Advocates say this will allow people to have more dignity and to pass away peacefully.

However, the bill is controversial and has been strongly criticized by New York Catholic Bishops. It is also opposed by the Center for Disability Rights.

"Proponents of the measure would have you believe that this is about controlling pain and that this is used to end suffering, what we really see is people opt for this procedure because of acquired disabilities from their illness," said Max Rodriguez, Manager of Governmental Affairs for the Center for Disability Rights.

According to Rodriguez, there is also a concern that the legislation could be expanded in the future to include other types of conditions. Instead, the center would like to see more resources allocated for end-of-life care. 

While Medical Aid in Dying passed in the Assembly, it isn’t law just yet. The bill is currently in committee and hasn’t been taken up by the State Senate.