(LifeSiteNews) — The state of New York is approaching a “frightening era” when its assisted suicide law goes into effect August 5, according to Archbishop Ronald Hicks.

The assisted suicide legislation, known as the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” allows anyone with a terminal illness who is predicted to live less than six months to take lethal drugs to kill themselves. Though the law, signed in February, purports to have “guardrails that will make sure people won’t be taken advantage of,” Hicks noted that assisted suicide in and of itself is an “assault on human life,” demonstrative of a “throwaway mentality.”

Governor Kathy Hochul said she signed the law based on her own mother’s experience with ALS, suggesting “there was nothing I could do to alleviate the pain of someone I loved,” implying she wished her mother could have taken lethal drugs.

Catholic bishops in the state previously criticized the law.

“This new law signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders,” the New York State Catholic Conference stated in December 2025, following passage of the law.

Now Hicks is reiterating the concerns of the bishops in the state.

The prelate said that the widespread legality of abortion contributes to this “throwaway culture,” which is only getting worse in New York.

Writing in First Things, he said the law “is the latest assault on human life, the next step toward a complete throwaway mentality.” However, he also risks muddying the waters by comparing assisted suicide to the enforcement of immigration law and the death penalty.

The archbishop warned that the law will expand further and target even more vulnerable populations, writing:

When this law becomes effective, a new and frightening era begins in New York. How long before this so-called “compassion” for the terminally ill evolves from a “choice” into an expectation to kill oneself for all sorts of vulnerable individuals, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and those in impoverished and medically underserved communities?

Hicks also called out the oddity of New York investing in suicide prevention and mental health with one hand while encouraging the suicide of terminally ill individuals on the other hand.

“How at odds this is with the rush to help others to end their lives,” he said, urging palliative care for the sick rather than suicide.