Overview
- Eligible adults must be Illinois residents diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to cause death within six months, with two physicians confirming the prognosis and capacity.
- Patients must make both oral and written requests, be informed of hospice and palliative alternatives, and self‑administer any prescribed medication.
- The statute, known as Deb’s Law after advocate Deb Robertson, passed by narrow margins in the House (63–42) and Senate (30–27).
- Illinois becomes the 12th U.S. jurisdiction to authorize medical aid in dying and the first state in the Midwest to do so.
- Participation is voluntary, felony penalties apply for coercion or forgery, doctors must report cases to the health department, and opponents warn of legal challenges over referral requirements and risks to vulnerable people.