New Illinois Bill Would Let Terminally Ill Adults End Their Lives With Medical Help

Illinois wouldn't be the first state to allow this.

The Illinois legislature is considering a bill that would legalize prescription drugs that aid in dying, in what's commonly known as physician-assisted suicide.

An Illinois House of Representatives committee voted this week to move the bill forward.

For several years in multiple states and countries, the polarizing concept of medically-assisted death has gained both support and dissension.

Supporters of it, like end-of-life doula Tiffany Johnson, says that it gives people who are dying a sense of dignity and autonomy. 11 other states have similar laws permitting physician-assisted suicide.

Critics focus on Illinois' already-present healthcare inequalities when it comes to the measure. They say the bill could "worsen longstanding disparities in healthcare", especially for people who are below the poverty line or incarcerated. Disability rights advocates see it as less a measure of compassion and more as a de facto death sentence for people who can't afford hospice, pallative care, or mental health services.

There's already ongoing healthcare issues in both Illinois and the country, obviously. Governor J.B. Pritzker has proposed budget cuts on healthcare for undocumented adults. President Trump has also rolled out the "big beautiful bill" that cuts over $600 billion from Medicaid.

The bill, which creates the 'End-Of-Life Options', would be effective 6 months after it's signed into law.

You can read the verbiage of the actual measure on Illinois legislature's website. Now, after an hour-long debate about it in the House, it is headed to the Senate for further consideration.