Physician-Assisted Suicide Legislation Advances to Governor’s Desk

In the early morning hours of October 31, lawmakers in the Illinois Senate voted on a controversial proposal that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state.

Senate Bill 1950, also known as Deb's Law, would create the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. The measure allows adult patients diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request medication from a physician to voluntarily end their lives.

The proposal narrowly passed the Senate by a vote of 30 to 27 and now advances to the Governor's desk for consideration. Governor Pritzker has two months to take action on the measure, but it remains unclear whether he intends to sign it into law.

If signed, Illinois would join 11 other states and Washington, D.C., that have enacted similar laws allowing physician-assisted suicide.