Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker delivers his State of the State and budget address before the General Assembly at the Illinois State Capitol, Feb. 19, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

Illinois is now the first state in the Midwest to legalize medical aid in dying, and advocates are praising what they call the culmination of a decades-long push toward autonomy and compassion in end-of-life care.

Starting in 2026, the End-of-Life for Terminally Ill Options Act, known as Deb’s Law, will give eligible adults with a terminal illness the option to obtain medication to end their lives.

Callie Riley, Northwest regional advocacy director with the advocacy group Compassion & Choices, said the law allows people to end their life based on their own values, beliefs and priorities.

“Terminally ill Illinoisans who have a prognosis of six months or less to live and are capable of making their own medical decisions,” said Riley, “can request a prescription from their physician that will allow them to peacefully end their suffering.:

Opponents have concerns about potential risks to vulnerable populations. But advocates say the law includes safeguards to prevent coercion and abuse.

It includes requirements that qualifying individuals are mentally capable of making their own decisions, have the approval of both an attending physician and a consulting provider, and are able to ingest the medication themselves. The law takes effect next year, in September.

The law was named after Deborah Robertson, a social worker from Lombard who is living with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She began advocating for medical aid in dying after her diagnosis.

Riley said the movement has included communities across the state and created a dialogue about the importance of autonomy in end-of-life decisions.

“Thousands of Illinoisans from across the state calling their lawmakers, talking to their neighbors, holding conversations around the kitchen table about end-of-life options,” said Riley, “and getting out there into the community to really start a conversation about why this option matters in the context of end-of-life care.”

Advocates have long pushed for medical aid-in-dying legislation in Illinois, arguing that terminally ill patients should not have to leave the state to access end-of-life care options.