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CHICAGO - A law set to go into effect later this year, which would allow terminally ill patients to seek medication to end their own lives, was challenged in federal court this week by a new lawsuit.
What we know:
The lawsuit was filed by two Illinois residents with disabilities, a doctor and multiple disability and patients’ rights organizations, and names Gov. JB Pritzker and Dr. Sameer Vohra, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, as defendants.
Lawmakers approved SB 1950 last year, otherwise known as "Deb’s Law," which allows for terminally ill patients to end their own lives via medication. The law is expected to take effect on Sept. 12.
The plaintiffs claim in the lawsuit that the law violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as "Obamacare," and the 14th Amendment.
They’re asking a judge to rule that the measure is illegal.
Requests for comments from Pritzker's office and the IDPH were not immediately returned over the weekend.
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Illinois woman with terminal illness fights for legal right to die
A controversial bill in the Illinois legislature would legalize giving terminally ill patients the right to die on their own terms.
The backstory:
The law would give adults the option, if they are diagnosed with a terminal condition by two physicians, have the mental capacity to make medical decisions, and are informed of alternatives such as hospice, palliative care, and pain management.
It was inspired by Deb Roberton, a suburban woman with a rare terminal illness who advocated for the new law.
Doctors, pharmacists and health care providers wouldn’t be required to participate in such medical aid. The law makes it a felony to coerce a patient into asking for the medication or to falsify a request.
Patients who qualify for the medication must be able to self-administer it, officials say.
Supporters told lawmakers that many families have seen loved ones endure extreme pain at the end of life, with some traveling out of state or abroad to seek aid-in-dying options.