By Jim Mishler | Friday, 12 December 2025 05:18 PM EST
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Friday allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, making Illinois the 12th state to enact such a law.
The measure, known as the End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act or “Deb’s Law,” permits doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication that eligible patients may self-administer. According to Springfield’s State Journal-Register, the law takes effect in September. Under the statute, adults must have a terminal illness expected to result in death within six months, as confirmed by two physicians. Patients must also possess mental capacity for medical decisions, be informed of all end-of-life care options, and submit both written and oral requests—requests that must be made personally by the patient and cannot be submitted through surrogates or proxies.
In a statement following his signing of the bill, Pritzker expressed being deeply moved by stories of Illinoisans facing terminal illness. “I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness,” he said. “Today, Illinois honors their strength and courage by enacting legislation that 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.”
Supporters argue the law expands patient choice and autonomy. Khadine Bennett of the ACLU of Illinois stated: “Terminally ill individuals living in Illinois will no longer have to agonize about spending their remaining days fearful of a painful death because the full range of end-of-life care options were not available in our state.”
Kevin Diaz of Compassion & Choices described the law as reflecting public support for medical aid in dying and called it “patient-driven healthcare at all stages of life.” Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, indicated that the agency will implement the law with “the highest ethical standards, transparency, and care.”
Opposition came from religious groups, including the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, which issued a condemnation. The diocese labeled the law a “dark day for Illinois,” stating: “With Governor Pritzker signing physician assisted suicide into law, Illinois has stepped onto a dangerous and heartbreaking path, one that replaces compassion with a lethal drug.”
The diocese also argued the law fails to address gaps in palliative care, hospice access, and pain management. It warned of coercion and cost-driven decisions, adding: “This law ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair in the first place. That is not compassion. It is abandonment.”
The diocese further noted the law conflicts with suicide prevention efforts, asking: “How can we urge teens and young adults not to choose death, while our own laws say that suicide can be a medical option?”
