'Right to die' bill signed into law by Gov. Pritzker

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed legislation allowing terminally ill adults to seek medical aid-in-dying medication, making Illinois the latest state to offer end-of-life options for patients expected to live six months or less.

What we know:

The law, known as the Medical Aid in Dying Act or Deb's Law, takes effect in September 2026 to allow the Illinois Department of Health and health providers to establish safeguards and protocols. The measure is named after Deb Roberston, an Illinois resident with a rare terminal illness who has advocated for the policy.

Under the law, sometimes referred to as the "right to die," adults who request the medication must be diagnosed with a terminal condition by two physicians, have the mental capacity to make medical decisions and be informed of alternatives such as hospice, palliative care and pain management.

Patients must submit both written and oral requests for the medication and only the patient, not a proxy or guardian, may make the request.

What they're saying:

""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 in a statement. "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. 

Participation by physicians, pharmacists and health care providers is voluntary. The law makes it a felony to coerce a patient into requesting the medication or to falsify a request.

Patients who qualify for the medication must be able to self-administer it.

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.

The ACLU of Illinois applauded the legislation, saying in part: "While some have described this law as controversial; the reality is that the new law reflects our state’s ethos of compassion. Cutting through so much of hyperbolic rhetoric of the past few months, the bottom line is that Illinois now will permit someone facing a terminal diagnosis to choose the timing of their death and end their suffering."

The other side:

The Thomas More Society, a national law firm, condemned the new law.

"This is a dark and sorrowful day for Illinois. When the state signals that some lives are no longer worth living, the most vulnerable pay the price," Thomas Olp, executive vice president at Thomas More Society, said in a statement. "Instead of offering true compassion, support, and care, this law offers a fatal prescription. That is not mercy. It is abandonment." 

"By legalizing physician-assisted suicide, the Land of Lincoln has crossed a profound moral and legal red line. As signed into law, this fatal misstep places vulnerable lives at risk, tramples the inherent dignity of human life, and erodes the foundational conscience rights of medical professionals and religious medical practices."