A136 would allow a mentally competent adult with a terminal illness and a doctor's prognosis of six months or less to request and self-administer medication to peacefully end his or her life. The bill establishes "safeguards"—including dual oral and written requests, physician consultations, witness requirements, the right to withdraw consent at any time, and documentation standards—and provides legal protections for healthcare providers acting in "good faith."
The New York State Assembly passed A136 on April 29, 2025 by a vote of 81 to 67. We have assigned pluses to the nays because the right to life is a fundamental, God-given, unalienable right, as affirmed in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Allowing any erosion of this right sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the sanctity of life. By granting the government the authority to sanction assisted suicide, A136 distorts the proper role of government—which is to secure life and liberty, not to legitimize death as a "treatment." Such laws also open the door to coercion, abuse, and devaluation of the elderly, disabled, and vulnerable, undermining the equal protection owed to every individual.
