By Currents News and Paula Katinas
Bishop Robert Brennan shares his concerns about New York’s proposed medical aid-in-dying bill, which would allow terminally ill patients with six months or less to live to request life-ending medication.
He addresses the potential impact on the vulnerable, including the disabled, the ethical implications in light of the national suicide crisis, and calls on Catholics to continue advocating for the dignity of every human life.
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — In the wake of the New York State Senate’s June 9 passage of a bill to legalize assisted suicide, pro-life advocates have refocused their efforts on convincing Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto it.
As of press time, Hochul had not commented on the passage of the bill, known as the Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) Act, and had not indicated whether or not she would sign it into law.
“We turn to the governor urging her to act boldly, consistent with her efforts to combat the suicide crisis in our state, and veto this bill,” Bishop Robert Brennan told The Tablet.
The Senate approved the bill on June 9 by a vote of 35-27. The Assembly approved the legislation on April 29 by a vote of 81-67. Both houses are controlled by Democrats.
If enacted into law, MAID would allow terminally ill people with less than six months to live to end their lives with fatal medications prescribed by doctors.
The law would require the patient to obtain confirmation of their diagnosis from two doctors. The written request to commit suicide would also have to be witnessed by two people who do not stand to financially gain from the patient’s death.
If the bill becomes law, New York would become the 12th state in the U.S. with an assisted suicide law on the books, joining California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The District of Columbia also has an assisted suicide law.
RELATED: New York Bishops Urge You To Say ‘No’ To Assisted Suicide
Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, the organization that represents the state’s bishops on public policy matters, said that while the Senate’s approval of the bill marked a “dark day for New York State,” he hasn’t lost hope that Hochul will take the issue seriously.
“Governor Hochul has acted boldly to address the suicide crisis in our state and has made access to mental health care a hallmark of her tenure as governor, with historic investments the last two years,” Poust said in a June 9 statement. “This bill undermines those priorities.”
Hochul previously signed the Student Lifeline Act in 2024, which requires the state’s 988 telephone helpline to be printed on college student ID cards. Further, in April, she awarded grants to expand suicide prevention measures for military veterans and uniformed personnel.
Poust said MAID has a number of objectionable features, chief among them is that it could lead those who do not suffer from terminal illnesses to feel pressured to end their lives. Another issue, he added, is that the bill lacks a required waiting period or a mandatory psychological screening for patients.
“This bill would be catastrophic for medically underserved communities, including communities of color, as well as for people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations who will be at the mercy of a healthcare industry that will soon be reeling from federal Medicaid cuts,” Poust said.
According to the New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide, the bill will have an outsized effect on those with disabilities. “Legalizing assisted suicide will disproportionally impact people with disabilities, sending a dangerous societal message that their lives are less valuable,” the organization said in a statement.
It could lead to a devastating scenario, the alliance noted. “When support systems fail, insurance coverage is uneven, and ableism pervades our institutions, what looks like ‘choice’ can quickly become pressure,” the organization said.
The bill’s proponents contend that it would humanely shorten the period of suffering for those with terminal illnesses and allow them to die with dignity.
Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who leads District 47 in Manhattan and sponsored the Senate version of MAID, wrote on X following its passage that “for the first time ever the New York State Senate, and now both houses of the State Legislature, have voted to give New Yorkers autonomy over the end of life care.”
While Hochul hasn’t commented on the bill’s passage, Hoylman-Sigal alluded to her signing it, writing on X that “once signed, New York will be the 12th state to enact Medical Aid in Dying.”
In the hours leading up to the vote, pro-life advocates lined the halls of the Capitol building in Albany, imploring senators to vote against the bill.
Bishop Brennan expressed that while the Senate’s passage of the bill was not surprising, it was “truly disappointing.”