N.Y. Public Health Law Section 2989
Effect on other rights

1.

A competent adult’s failure to appoint a health care agent or to provide the agent with specific health care instructions pursuant to this article shall create no presumptions regarding the adult’s wishes about health care.

2.

Nothing in this article creates, expands, diminishes, impairs or supersedes any authority that a principal may have under law to make or express decisions, wishes or instructions regarding health care, including decisions about life sustaining treatment, whether or not expressed in a health care proxy.

3.

This article is not intended to permit or promote suicide, assisted suicide, or euthanasia; accordingly, nothing herein shall be construed to permit an agent to consent to any act or omission to which the principal could not consent under law.

Source: Section 2989 — Effect on other rights, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/PBH/2989 (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Jan. 3, 2026).

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Verified:
Jan. 3, 2026

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 2989. Effect on other rights's source at nysenate​.gov

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