Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a new law Friday enacting legislation to make Illinois the newest state to allow medical-assisted dying for terminally ill residents.
The Medical Aid in Dying bill is a law that will provide qualified terminally ill patients with the option to seek medication to peacefully end their lives on their own terms in consultation with physicians, officials said.
The law becomes effective starting September 2026, allowing participating health care providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) significant lead time to implement stringent processes and protections.
“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said Friday. “Today, Illinois honors its 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. This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy.”
The legislation expands compassionate end-of-life options in a manner that establishes clear processes, guidelines, and protocols, officials said.
The governor’s office said several safeguards are in place to ensure robust patient protection for Illinois residents, and added no physician, health care provider, or pharmacist is required to participate in the option.
In addition, the law also makes it a felony to coerce anyone to request the medication or to forge a request.
Adult patients requesting end-of-life medication must have a terminal illness that will result in death within six months, as determined by two physicians, officials said.
The patient also must be informed by their physician about all of their end-of-life care options, officials said.
This includes options for comfort care, hospice, palliative care, and pain control.
The patient must also have the mental capacity, confirmed by their physician, to make medical decisions, and make written and oral requests to receive the aid-in-dying medication, officials said.
The request can only be made by the patient, not by the patient’s surrogate decision-maker, health care proxy, health care agent, attorney-in-fact for healthcare, guardian, or via an advance care directive, officials said.
The bill honors Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident living with a rare terminal illness who has strongly advocated for the bill and shed light on the impacts on families and individuals struggling with terminal illness as they seek dignity and autonomy to peacefully end their lives on their terms, officials said.
“I want to thank Governor Pritzker for signing this measure into law – giving the full range of end-of-life options for Illinois residents,” said Robertson, a retired Lombard social worker who worked to pass the Deb’s Law. “Today, I know the end for me could be near. But I’m pleased to have been able to play some role in ensuring that terminally ill Illinoisans have access to medical aid in dying.”