Illinois Becomes 12th State to Allow Physician-Assisted Suicide, Prompting Religious Outcry

By Jim Mishler | Friday, 12 December 2025 05:18 PM EST

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation on Friday that permits physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, marking the state as the 12th in the nation to enact such a law.

The measure, officially titled the End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act and commonly referred to as “Deb’s Law,” authorizes doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication that eligible patients may self-administer.

According to Springfield’s State Journal-Register, the law will take effect in September. Under its provisions, adults must have a terminal illness projected to result in death within six months, as verified by two physicians. Patients also must possess the mental capacity to make medical decisions, be informed of all end-of-life care options, and submit both written and oral requests for assistance—requiring these requests to be made directly by the patient and not through a surrogate or proxy.

In a statement following the signing, Governor Pritzker expressed his deep emotional response to stories shared by residents 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 highlighted the law as an expansion of patient 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 from Compassion & Choices noted that the law reflects public support for medical aid in dying and described it as “patient-driven healthcare at all stages of life.”

Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, emphasized that the agency will implement the law with “the highest ethical standards, transparency, and care.”

The legislation has drawn opposition from religious groups, including the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, which issued a statement condemning it as “a dark day for Illinois.” The diocese argued that the law replaces compassion with a lethal drug and fails to address gaps in palliative care, hospice access, and pain management. It also warned of potential coercion and cost-driven decisions.

The diocese further asserted: “This law ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair in the first place.” It added that such a 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?”