Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation to allow medically assisted suicide in New York.
The controversial legislation allows those with six months or less to live the ability to obtain life-ending medication.
The bill failed to gain traction for a decade in Albany. Lawmakers from both houses passed the legislation in June.
Hochul, a Democrat, signed the bill on Friday after reaching a deal with state lawmakers in December to amend the legislation to include guardrails.
New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman issued a statement hailing the new law, saying in part, "By signing this bill into law, Governor Hochul has made compassion and agency at the end of life a reality for all residents of our state."
Republican lawmakers had been opposed to the measure that was severely criticized by groups, including the Catholic church.
In 2024, the Medical Society of the State of New York reversed its long-held opposition to the legislation that advocates say offers compassion and bodily autonomy to those who are suffering.
The new law will take effect in August.
