BREAKING: JB Pritzker signs law allowing people to be euthanized by government in Illinois

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill into law on Friday that would allow terminally ill patients in the state to pursue euthanasia. The law, known as "Deb’s Law," will go into effect in September of 2026.

A press release from Pritzker’s office stated that the Medical Aid in Dying bill would "provide qualified terminally ill patients with the option to seek medication to peacefully end their lives on their own terms in consultation with physicians."

Pritzker said in a statement, "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. 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. This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy."

To qualify, patients 18 and older must have a terminal illness that will result in death, have the physician-confirmed mental capacity to make medical decisions, be informed about all end-of-life care options such as hospice and palliative care, and make written and oral requests to receive the aid-in-dying medication. Those who go through with the process will have their cause of death listed on their death certificate as the underlying terminal disease they had. 

The bill received pushback from religious groups and disability rights advocates. Among those was Access Living policy analyst Sebastian Nalls, who said that the bill could result in insurers pressuring sick people into euthanasia rather than paying for expensive treatments, per Capitol News Illinois.

“This bill carries far too many loopholes and lacks oversight to be safe and equitable, but the bottom line for Access Living is this: The existence of assisted suicide is a threat, to not just the kind of health care we deserve, but a threat to our ability to live and die with dignity,” Nalls said in a May committee hearing.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago said in May after the bill passed in the Illinois House, "I have to ask why, in a time when growing understanding of the deteriorating mental health of the U.S. population – and particularly among our youth – caused the country to create the 988 mental health crisis line, we would want to take this step to normalize suicide as a solution to life’s challenges."

He later added, "I speak to this topic not only as a religious leader but also as one who has seen a parent die from a debilitating illness. My father was kept comfortable and was cherished until his natural death. Catholic teaching supports such palliative care so long as the goal is not to end life. There is a way to both honor the dignity of human life and provide compassionate care to those experiencing life-ending illness. Surely the Illinois legislature should explore those options before making suicide one of the avenues available to the ill and distressed."