Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signs law allowing terminally ill adults to self-administer lethal drugs starting Sept. 2026, amid strong opposition from Catholic bishops and disability groups.
Newsroom (13/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation on December 12 making the state the 12th in the USA, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults.
The new law, Senate Bill 1950, permits Illinois residents diagnosed with an incurable and irreversible disease expected to cause death within six months to obtain and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician. The measure takes effect in September 2026.
Under the law, a terminal illness must be confirmed through an in-person evaluation by one physician, with a second doctor concurring. Major depressive disorder alone does not qualify as a terminal condition. Physicians are required to inform patients of feasible alternatives, including palliative care, hospice, comfort care, and pain management options.
Patients must make both written and oral requests to receive the medication. Health care professionals are not obligated to participate, and those who do are shielded from civil or criminal liability.
In a statement released the same day, Pritzker described the law as enabling “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.”
The governor’s approval followed intense efforts to block the measure. On December 10, Illinois’ Catholic bishops sent a letter urging Pritzker to veto the bill, arguing that true compassion lies in providing “compassionate, loving care” through trained professionals or family members rather than facilitating death.
The bishops contended that the legislation “is not about compassion,” noting it requires no actual services beyond informing patients of alternatives and includes no mandates for family presence or protections against coercion at the time of death. They warned of experiences in other states where similar laws have led to concerning outcomes.
Citing research by Nottingham University scholar David Paton, the bishops predicted the law would contribute to an overall increase in suicides in Illinois. They highlighted the contradiction of expanding suicide prevention programs, including the 988 hotline, while enacting a policy likely to elevate suicide rates based on evidence from other jurisdictions.
The bishops also expressed concern over potential “suicide tourism,” noting that some states have later removed residency requirements. They warned that safeguards in the Illinois law could erode over time, potentially allowing broader access, and pointed to Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying program, where 76,475 individuals have died since 2016, according to a November government report.
A 2022 analysis by researchers from Rutgers University, Lehigh University, and The Hastings Center found that 5,239 patients died via assisted suicide in the U.S. between 1998 and 2020, with a median age of 74.
Disability advocates echoed these concerns. Access Living, a Chicago-based organization serving primarily low-income people of color reliant on Medicaid, condemned the bill’s passage in November, stating it “does not offer freedom; it harms people with disabilities.”
Karen Tamley, the group’s president and CEO, warned that the law sets a “dangerous precedent,” particularly amid cuts to Medicaid and healthcare access, placing vulnerable individuals at risk of pressure to end their lives rather than receive needed care.
Opposition culminated in a vigil outside Pritzker’s Chicago office on December 11, where dozens gathered in cold, damp conditions. Speakers, including doctors and disability advocates, pleaded for a veto.
Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, raised concerns about the bill’s conscience protections for healthcare workers, suggesting it could require physicians to refer patients requesting assisted suicide. He indicated plans to scrutinize the text and hinted at possible litigation, citing inconsistencies with the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Mark A. Bartosic, who attended the vigil, criticized the “sneakiness” of the signing process, including an uncertain and low-profile date. State Rep. Bill Hauter, a physician and Republican lawmaker, objected to the bill’s lack of transparency and argued it violates the physician’s oath to “do no harm.”
The American Medical Association’s code of ethics deems physician-assisted suicide “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer,” warning of control difficulties and societal risks.
Catholic teaching condemns intentional euthanasia as murder and labels it among moral “infamies” that dishonor the Creator. However, the Church permits discontinuing burdensome or extraordinary treatments when they are disproportionate to outcomes, accepting death without willing it.
As the law awaits implementation, opponents vow continued scrutiny and advocacy for expanded hospice and palliative care access.
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