Final Push to Pass Medical Aid in Dying Act This Week:
Jun 6, 2023
Hoylman-Sigal: “We have 3 days left. This is an important bill. You may be surprised at what happens in the next few days.”
Paulin: “We have 3 of the longest days. Nothing is impossible. When it comes to the Floor it will pass with resounding numbers.”
Carey: “We have more than enough support in both houses. We simply need the leaders to allow their members to vote.”
Assembly Health Committee Chairwoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) and Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), prime sponsors of the Medical Aid in Dying Act, both said today that the last week of session could finally bring passage after the eight year campaign. They were joined by colleagues, advocates and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, which counts more than six thousand New York doctors as members.
New York Rep. Al Taylor, a co-sponsor of the Medical Aid in Dying Act, speaking at Albany news conference to urge his colleagues to pass the bill.
Medical aid in dying allows a terminally ill, mentally capable adult with six months or less to live to request a prescription from their doctor for medication they can take when their suffering becomes too great to bear and die peacefully. New York neighbors New Jersey and Vermont are among 10 states and Washington, D.C. where medical aid in dying is authorized. The most recent Marist poll shows strong support for medical aid in dying among voters, 59-36%, including majority support across the geographic, political and racial spectrum.
Paulin said: “I’ve talked about my sister’s horrible death many times. It’s been eight years and I still think every day about the fact she wanted me at her side and I wasn’t there. She should have had the ability to have medical aid in dying. We have gained momentum for passing the bill. When the bill comes to the floor it will pass the Assembly with resounding numbers, in bipartisan fashion. We have three of the longest days. Nothing is impossible.”
Hoylman-Sigal said: "Our role here is to reduce human suffering and bring hope to New Yorkers. Medical aid in dying does just that. When this was discussed at an informal conference of my colleagues, the response was powerful. My colleagues see the light. We have three days left. This is an important bill. You may be surprised at what happens in the next few days.”
Heather Paladine, MD, President, New York State Academy of Family Physicians, said: “Medical aid in dying puts agency back into the hands of the individuals who are facing their final days. It respects their autonomy and empowers them to make deeply personal decisions about their own lives. This legislation grants terminally ill patients the right to choose when and how they want to end their suffering, surrounded by loved ones and with the support of their healthcare team. It is time to embrace this compassionate choice and provide terminally ill patients in our state with the dignity and control they deserve, that is already available to over 20% of the US population.”
Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director of Compassion & Choices, said: “As we stand here today, I know there are New Yorkers from every region of the state who are dying, suffering and in pain, pleading for this option. Dying people and their families have no time for politics. They have no time for continued senseless delay. We now have more than 82 cosponsors and that number continues to grow. Every question about this bill has been asked and answered. The time for real action is now. If they leave Friday without passing this bill, they are making a dangerous gamble with fate: 6 months before they reconvene in 2024 is a long time. In that time, a constituent, a neighbor, a loved one – even a member him or herself – could find themselves in a position where they want and need this option. Don’t gamble with the fate of those you represent. Pass the bill. Pass it now.”
The Medical Aid in Dying Act is supported by numerous advocacy groups in the state including, among others: the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, New York Civil Liberties Union, League of Women Voters of New York State, StateWide Senior Action Council, NYS Public Health Association, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, NOW-NY, ACT UP NY, Harlem United, Latino Commission on AIDS, Latinos for Healthcare Equity, the WESPAC Foundation, and SAGE NY, which advocates for and provides healthcare and other services to LGBT elders. You can see many memos in support from these and other organizations here.
The legislation is also strongly supported by Death with Dignity National Center, Death with Dignity-Albany, End of Life Choices New York and the Completed Life Initiative.
More information on medical aid in dying and the New York campaign can be found on Compassion & Choices’ website, Facebook or Twitter.
