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New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday signed a law allowing terminally ill residents with less than six months to live to access medical aid in dying. The law provides patients with the option to end their life peacefully under strict safeguards.

The legislation includes a mandatory five-day waiting period between when a prescription is written and when it can be filled. Patients requesting medical aid in dying must also undergo mental health evaluations to confirm they are competent and free from coercion. Only New York residents are eligible, and no healthcare provider or religiously affiliated facility is required to participate.

“Our state will always protect New Yorkers’ freedoms and right to bodily autonomy,” Governor Hochul said. “This law allows terminally ill individuals to end their lives with dignity and compassion.”

Previously, the New York Court of Appeals rejected a lawsuit in 2017 that sought the right for mentally competent, terminally ill patients to obtain prescriptions for lethal drugs, ruling that doctor-assisted suicide was illegal in the state at the time.

With the new law, New York joins 12 other U.S. states and the District of Columbia that allow assisted suicide. Oregon was the first state to legalize medical aid in dying in 1994.

The law has been welcomed by advocacy groups, including End of Life Choices New York, which supports access to assisted dying. Executive Director Mandi Zucker called the legislation a “mile marker toward fairness, choice, peace, and dignity for families watching loved ones struggle with terminal illness.” Zucker said the organization will launch a statewide education campaign over the next six months to inform patients, families, and healthcare providers about the law and how it works.

Medical professionals will also benefit from clear guidelines that protect them from being forced to participate against their moral or religious beliefs. Experts say the law will give patients more control over their final months while ensuring that safeguards prevent abuse or coercion.

New York’s law is expected to have a significant impact on end-of-life care, providing residents with legal options for compassionate death while reinforcing the importance of mental health evaluations, waiting periods, and voluntary participation by providers.