Illinois becomes 12th state to provide medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill

Illinois Legalizes Medically Assisted Suicide with Two-Year Implementation Window

Illinois has become the 12th state to legalize medically assisted suicide after Governor JB Pritzker signed the legislation into law on Friday. The measure, formally known as “Deb’s Law,” will take effect in September 2026, providing a two-year window for the Illinois Department of Public Health and medical providers to develop comprehensive protocols for implementation.

The law is named after Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident and retired social worker from suburban Chicago who has advocated for the legislation while battling a rare terminal illness. Robertson expressed gratitude following the signing, saying the law will ensure “terminally ill Illinois residents have access to medical aid in dying.”

“The end for me could be near, but I’m pleased to have been able to play some role in ensuring that terminally ill Illinois residents have access to medical aid in dying,” Robertson stated after the bill’s signing in Chicago.

Governor Pritzker emphasized that patient autonomy guided his decision to support the measure. “This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy,” he said. The governor noted he had been moved by stories of patients suffering from terminal illnesses and their desire for “freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak.”

Under the new law, eligible patients must be at least 18 years old with confirmed mental capacity to make medical decisions. Two physicians must verify that the patient has an illness that could prove fatal within six months. The legislation includes multiple safeguards, requiring that patients receive information about all end-of-life care options, including hospice and palliative care. Importantly, both oral and written requests for end-of-life medication must come directly from the patient, not from a surrogate or proxy.

State Senator Linda Holmes, the Democratic sponsor from suburban Chicago, shared personal motivation for championing the bill. “I’ll never forget the helpless feeling of watching them suffer when there was nothing I could do to help them,” Holmes said of her parents, who both died of cancer. “Every adult patient of sound mind should have this as one more option in their end-of-life care in the event their suffering becomes unbearable.”

The legislation’s path to passage was not without controversy. The Illinois House approved the measure 63-42 in late May, while the Senate delayed consideration until October, when it narrowly passed with a 30-27 vote. Both chambers saw significant opposition, including from several prominent Democrats.

Religious and advocacy groups have voiced strong criticism of the new law. The Catholic Conference of Illinois, representing the state’s six Catholic dioceses, called the governor’s action one that puts Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path.”

“Rather than investing in real end-of-life support such as palliative and hospice care, pain management, and family-centered accompaniment, our state has chosen to normalize killing oneself,” the Catholic bishops said in their statement.

The Patients Rights Action Fund, a nonpartisan advocacy group, also expressed concerns. “Assisted suicide plunges Illinoisans with disabilities and other vulnerable people into conversations about death, instead of the care and support they deserve from their medical teams,” said Matt Valliere, the organization’s president and CEO.

Critics have particularly highlighted what they see as a contradiction: the state is legalizing suicide for some while actively working to prevent it among others, particularly teenagers, for whom suicide is the second-leading cause of death.

Illinois joins eleven other states and the District of Columbia in allowing medically assisted suicide, according to the advocacy group Death With Dignity. Delaware recently passed similar legislation set to take effect in January 2026. Seven additional states are currently considering similar measures, indicating a growing national trend toward expanded end-of-life options.

The two-year implementation period is designed to ensure that when the law takes effect, proper safeguards and processes will be firmly in place to protect vulnerable patients while respecting the autonomy of those facing terminal illness.