New York— A136 and S138 are companion bills that were introduced on January 8, 2025. In each of the House and Senate chambers the bills were referred to the Committee on Health. On Tuesday April 22, there was news of these assisted suicide bills moving forward. The bishops of New York issued a statement on this bill, indicating “that the New York State Assembly would take up legislation (A136/S138) to legalize state-sanctioned suicide for those who are diagnosed with a terminal illness. Euphemistically titled the Medical Aid in Dying Act, this bill would usher in a dangerous new era in our state, turning the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians to “do no harm” on its head and leaving vulnerable individuals – people with disabilities, the elderly, and those in impoverished and medically underserved communities – subject to pressure and coercion to end their lives so as not to be a “burden” to society or an excessive cost to insurance companies.”
Unfortunately, A136/S138 passed in the Assembly on April 9 and the Senate on June 9. The legislation has yet to be sent to Governor Hochul. Click here to send a message to the governor telling her to VETO the assisted suicide bill.
Assisting a patient to commit suicide is not medical care. For an informative article by the organization Not Dead Yet, a disabilities rights group, conveys the disturbing reality of the of S 136 and a sobering article published in The Dialogue.
