‘Freedom and choice at the end of life:’ Pritzker signs controversial Medical Aid in Dying bill

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Medical Aid in Dying bill Friday, allowing terminally ill adults in Illinois to end their lives with medication in consultation with a physician.

The controversial law would go into effect in September 2026, which gives health providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health time to implement “stringent processes and protections,” officials said.

“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,” Gov. JB Pritzker said Friday in a statement.

The measure gives terminally ill individuals of sound mental state, with a six months or less prognosis, the option to end their lives with a lethal dose of medication prescribed by a doctor.

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

“This bill goes too far without the protections Illinois families deserve,” Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie said.

“Coroners, who will be responsible for determining causes of death, were never brought into the conversation,” McCombie added. “Stakeholders raised red flags that were brushed aside. Those gaps pose real and dangerous consequences.”

Illinois now becomes the 12th state to enact such legislation. Named “Deb’s Law,” it honors Deb Robertson. The Lombard resident, who has neuroendocrine cancer, advocated for the bill.

“It really would give me some relief during the days I have left knowing that I’m going to leave this earth on my terms, peacefully … and being able to say goodbye,” Robertson told the Daily Herald in June.

The measure drew strong feelings on both sides. Bishop Ronald Hicks of the Diocese of Joliet stated that the Catholic Church “firmly upholds the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. Assisted suicide contradicts our moral teaching and threatens the well-being of the poor, the elderly, and those with disabilities.

“It sends the tragic message that some lives are no longer worth living,” Hicks said after the legislature passed the bill in October.