New York Catholic Groups Secure Injunction Against Assisted Suicide Law

A coalition of Catholic religious orders and healthcare providers secured a temporary restraining order preventing New York state officials from enforcing the Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) Act against them. The agreement, reached between New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty on July 30, 2026, shields the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Catholic Health, and several orders of nuns from requirements to inform and counsel terminally ill patients about assisted suicide.

Kathy Hochul signed the MAID Act into law, allowing individuals with six months or less to live to obtain life-ending medication. While the law contains a religious liberty exception, plaintiffs—including the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and the Little Sisters of the Poor—argue that mandates to provide information and referrals are coercive and violate their First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Anne Nardacci issued the consent order as the court considers motions for emergency relief and a state motion to dismiss, which New York must file by August 20.

In a related development, Judge Nardacci dismissed a separate lawsuit brought by disability rights advocates who claimed the law violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, ruling that those plaintiffs lacked standing to sue. The temporary agreement allows Catholic ministries to continue serving patients according to their religious teachings while the federal lawsuit proceeds.