Death With Dignity in Illinois

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of states considering medical aid in dying laws. Sometimes called "death with dignity," "assisted suicide," or "right to die" initiatives, these laws make it possible for terminally ill patients to use prescribed medication to end their lives peacefully rather than suffering a painful and protracted death.

The catalyst for greater national attention to this issue was 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, a woman diagnosed with terminal brain cancer who moved from California to Oregon to end her life in 2014. Maynard chose Oregon because California had not yet passed its aid-in-dying law, and Oregon is one of just a few other states that allow terminally ill patients to receive aid in dying.

Illinois's 2025-2026 End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act

The Illinois General Assembly first considered medical aid in dying legislation in 1997. Most recently in the 2025-2026 legislative session, lawmakers introduced a new aid-in-dying bill, called the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act (SB1950). The bill passed the full Illinois House, but it stalled when it was returned to the Senate for consideration, and it failed to move forward before the end of the 2025 session. However, although it didn't pass in 2025, the bill will remain viable for reconsideration in 2026. If the law passes, it would allow terminally ill patients who meet certain requirements to request life-ending medication.

This article first clarifies some confusing language related to medical aid in dying laws and then sets out the basics of Illinois's proposed law.

Death With Dignity, Medical Aid in Dying, Assisted Suicide, Right to Die: What's the Difference?

"Death with dignity" and "medical aid in dying" are two of the most commonly accepted phrases describing the process by which a terminally ill person ingests prescribed medication to hasten death. Many people still think of this process as "assisted suicide" or "physician assisted suicide." However, proponents of death with dignity argue that the term "suicide" doesn't apply to terminally ill people who would prefer to live but, facing certain death within months, choose a more gentle way of dying. In fact, Illinois's proposed law states that terminating one's life under the law is not suicide. (See SB1950, Section 90.)

Increasingly, health organizations are turning away from the term "suicide" to describe a terminally ill patient's choice to reduce the suffering of an inevitable death. The phrase "medical aid in dying" is becoming a more accepted way to refer to this process.

You might also see the phrase "right to die" used in place of "medical aid in dying" or "death with dignity." However, "right to die" is more accurately used in the context of directing one's own medical care—that is, refusing life-sustaining treatment such as a respirator or feeding tubes when permanently unconscious or close to death. You can provide your own health care directions by completing an Illinois advance health care directive. (See the end of this article for more information.)

An Overview of the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act

Illinois's proposed law is modeled closely on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, which took effect in 1997. If the bill passes, a patient requesting aid-in-dying medication will have to be:

• at least 18 years old
• an Illinois resident
• mentally capable of making and communicating health care decisions, and
• diagnosed with a terminal disease that will result in death within six months.

A patient who meets the requirements above will be prescribed aid-in-dying medication only if:

• The patient makes two verbal requests to their doctor, at least five days apart. (However, the bill waives the five-day waiting period if the doctor has confirmed that the patient is fewer than five days from death when making the initial verbal request.)
• The patient gives a written request to the doctor, signed in front of two qualified, adult witnesses. (The law sets out the specific form that the patient must use.)
• The prescribing doctor and one other doctor confirm the patient's diagnosis and prognosis.
• The prescribing doctor and one other doctor determine that the patient is capable of making medical decisions.
• The patient has a psychological examination, if either doctor feels the patient's judgment is impaired.
• The prescribing doctor confirms that the patient is not being coerced or unduly influenced by others when making the request.
• The prescribing doctor informs the patient of any feasible alternatives to the medication, including care to relieve pain and keep the patient comfortable.
• The prescribing doctor refers the patient for palliative or hospice care, pain control, or other end-of-life treatments if requested or clinically appropriate.
• The prescribing doctor informs the patient that there is no obligation to fill the prescription for or self-administer the life-ending medication.
• The prescribing doctor asks the patient to notify their next of kin of the prescription request.
• The prescribing doctor offers the patient the opportunity to withdraw the request for aid-in-dying medication before granting the prescription.

To use the medication, the patient must be able to ingest it on their own. A doctor or other person who administers the lethal medication could face criminal charges.

In addition, no other person—such as a surrogate or health care agent—may make a request for aid-in-dying medication on behalf of the patient. Nor can the patient request aid-in-dying medication in an advance health care directive.

You can read the full text of Illinois's proposed End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act on the Illinois General Assembly's website.

Learn More

To find out more about the history and current status of medical aid in dying laws in the United States, visit the website of the Death With Dignity National Center.

For information about appointing a health care agent and making known your own wishes for medical care at the end of life, see the Living Wills & Medical Powers of Attorney section of Nolo.com.