Medical aid in dying was authorized in Illinois on December 12th, 2025, when Gov. Pritzker signed SB 1950, the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. Also known as “Deb’s Law” for Compassion & Choices storyteller Deb Robertson, the law goes into effect in September 2026.
We know that many Illinoisans and clinicians have questions about the law, and the practice of medical aid in dying. On the right-hand side of this page, you will find resources for patients (and their loved ones) as well as clinicians, including in-depth guides to the law. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Senior Illinois Campaign Organizer at [email protected].
The law was originally introduced during the 2025 legislative session by our lead sponsors, House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes. The legislation is summarized here.
In a 2023 poll, 71% of likely Illinois voters supported this compassionate legislation, and the majority of Illinois physicians also support this option.
Survey of Illinois Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Medical Aid in Dying as an End-of-Life Option
Illinois Legislative Campaign Overview
The Compassion & Choices Action Network Illinois team and the ACLU of Illinois partner in the Illinois End-of-Life Options Coalition. If you would like to get involved, please sign up here.
In 2026, lawmakers introduced several bills to restrict access to, amend, or repeal the Illinois End-of-Life Options Act. As of spring, none of these bills have moved forward. We will continue to monitor all threats to the law and take action to ensure that medical aid in dying remains an end-of-life care option in Illinois.
Our work doesn’t stop here. Will you make a donation to support our continued efforts to bring vital access resources and education efforts across the state?
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Compassion & Choices CEO Kim Callinan writes in an opinion piece for the Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette, “As baby boomers age, more and more people are having to navigate the onset of a serious diagnosis or plan for the inevitable end for themselves or a loved one. Unfortunately, a failure to plan is only the tip of…
Illinois advocate Jill Weinberg gravitated to the end-of-life choice movement for both professional and personal reasons. A lawyer who works in research at the American Bar Foundation and as a sociology professor at DePaul University in Chicago, her areas of focus are choice and consent in everyday life. And last September, Weinberg’s husband, Davin, died…
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