CHICAGO — Beginning in September, Illinois will allow physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, becoming the 12th state to legalize the practice.
The law, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday, allows qualifying adults with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less to receive a prescription for medication they can take to end their lives, according to a governor’s office news release.
The law is scheduled to take effect in September, giving state health officials and medical providers time to implement oversight and reporting requirements.
Supporters say the measure expands end-of-life options for patients facing unbearable suffering, while opponents have raised concerns about potential risks to vulnerable populations. The legislation includes safeguards intended to prevent coercion and abuse.
Pritzker said he was moved to sign the bill after hearing from families and patients who described prolonged suffering at the end of life.
“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness,” Pritzker said in a statement. “This legislation enables patients faced with debilitating terminal illnesses to make a decision, in consultation with a doctor, that helps them avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives.”
The bill is also known as “Deb’s Law,” named for Deb Robertson, a retired social worker from Lombard who is living with a rare terminal illness and became a leading advocate for the measure. Robertson testified before lawmakers and spoke publicly about the lack of end-of-life options available to Illinois residents.
Gov. JB Pritzker held a news conference Tuesday at La Villita Community Church, 2300 S. Millard St., to celebrate signing HB1312, a package of bills that includes protections for immigrants in licensed childcare centers, higher education institutions and state courthouses. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Advocates have pushed for medical aid in dying legislation in Illinois for decades, arguing that terminally ill patients should not be forced to leave the state to access end-of-life care options available elsewhere. Supporters told lawmakers that some Illinois residents previously traveled to states such as California to obtain life-ending medication, sometimes at great physical and emotional cost.
“This law ensures that terminally ill Illinoisans will no longer have to leave home at the end of their lives to access all of their medical options,” Khadine Bennett, advocacy and intergovernmental affairs director at the ACLU of Illinois, which supported the bill, said in the press release.
Illinois becomes the first state in the Midwest to legalize medical aid in dying, joining states such as Oregon, Washington and California, as well as the District of Columbia.
Under the law, adults who are mentally capable and diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to result in death within six months may qualify. Two physicians must independently confirm the diagnosis and prognosis.
Patients must make written and oral requests for the medication and must be able to self-administer it. No physician, pharmacist or health care provider is required to participate, and health care institutions may prohibit the practice within their facilities.
The law makes it a felony to coerce someone into requesting the medication or to forge a request. Patients may withdraw their request at any time or choose not to take the medication after it is prescribed. Death certificates will list the underlying terminal illness as the cause of death.
The bill passed the Illinois Senate narrowly before clearing the House and reaching the governor’s desk earlier this year.
The Illinois Department of Public Health will be responsible for developing rules, oversight systems and reporting requirements before the law takes effect in 2026.
State officials said the delayed implementation timeline is intended to ensure the law is rolled out with clear standards and protections in place.
“This is a deeply personal decision, and the safeguards in the law are designed to ensure it is made voluntarily, thoughtfully and without pressure,” Pritzker said.
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:
