Overview
- The pope said he explicitly urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to approve the measure and noted Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich delivered the same appeal.
- Pritzker signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, known as Deb's Law, on Dec. 12 after hearing testimony from patients and families about terminal suffering.
- The law permits eligible terminally ill adults, including those with a prognosis of six months or less, to request life-ending medication after consultation with physicians.
- State health officials are tasked with developing regulations and oversight ahead of the 2026 implementation, with clinicians allowed to decline participation under existing ethical frameworks.
- Illinois Catholic dioceses condemned the law as a "dangerous and heartbreaking path," while Illinois joins jurisdictions in 11 other states and Washington, D.C., with Delaware’s law taking effect Jan. 1, 2026.