New York State Bar Association Lobbies for Medical Aid in Dying Act
5.22.2025
New York State Bar Association President-Elect Kathleen Sweet and Mary Beth Morrissey, NYSBA member and chair of the Health Law Section and the Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying, met with key staff in the New York State Senate to advocate for the Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID), A.136(Paulin)/S.138(Hoylman-Sigal) Thursday at the New York State Capitol.
MAID would allow terminally ill people in New York to take medication that would end their lives, including safeguards such as mandatory evaluations of a person’s decision-making capacity, palliative and end-of-life care counseling, and protections against coercion. The through-line of each conversation with the Legislature was the task force’s diligent and thorough process when gathering evidence and crafting its report, as well as the weighty decision that was made by NYSBA’s Executive Committee and House of Delegates to endorse the report and vote to make it policy of the association at their January 2024 meeting.
The bill has been passed by the New York State Assembly and is now in front of the Senate for consideration. If passed by both Houses, the bill will go to the governor for signature or veto. The association’s Government Relations department will continue to work with leadership to secure passage of the bill.
