Governor Kathy Hochul has reached an agreement with lawmakers to make physician assisted suicide legal in New York State.
Hochul was first not on board with the legislation but had lawmakers add several guardrails, before agreeing with the Medical Aid In Dying Act. The legislation will give New York adults the right to end their life if they have a terminal illness with less than six months to live.
"We can finally give that choice and not have government stand in the way of a deeply personal decision."
Critics including religious groups argue it's morally wrong.
"Any hospital because their religious beliefs who does not want to offer this is not going to be required to."
Hochul says shell sign the law in January and it will go into effect six months later.
The agreement has additional key guardrails, including a mandatory waiting period of 5 days between when a prescription is written and filled, an oral request by the patient for medical aid in dying must be recorded by video or audio and a mandatory mental health evaluation