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Court expands protection for Catholic healthcare entities from Illinois assisted suicide law
An expanded federal court order now prohibits Illinois from forcing Catholic health institutions from committing assisted suicide on patients; however, the order is temporary.
Three lawsuits have been filed against the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, which was signed into law after proponents hid it as an amendment to the Sanitary Food Preparation Bill last year.
On October 5, U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama of the Northern District of Illinois expanded a previous temporary restraining order, allowing nearly all Catholic health care entities in the state to be protected from the law, not just plaintiffs in a lawsuit.
Valderrama had previously placed a temporary restraining order on the law for the plaintiffs in Mary Keen Kirchoff, M.D., et al. v. Treto, Jr. and a temporary injunction for the plaintiffs in Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Inc. v. Prince.
On December 12, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1950, the "Sanitary Food Preparation Bill," into law. Buried in that law was an amendment to legalize assisted suicide, placed there after previous efforts to pass assisted death failed.
The law took effect on September 12, but at least three lawsuits have been filed against it.
The first was filed in June by the organization End Assisted Suicide, a coalition of disability and patients rights advocates. A federal judge declined that lawsuit, allowing the law to take effect.
The second lawsuit was filed on August 11 by a coalition of religious plaintiffs who argued that the law violates the constitutional right to freedom of speech and religion. On August 21, U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama of the Northern District of Illinois issued a temporary restraining order in Mary Keen Kirchoff, M.D., et al. v. Treto, Jr. against the enforcement of provisions within the "End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients.... pending the issuance of the mandate in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in NIFLA v. Treto and Schroeder v. Treto, and this Court's subsequent ruling on Plaintiffs' expected motion for preliminary injunction." The order protected plaintiffs in the case.
The third lawsuit was filed by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm on September 3. On September 11, Valderrama placed a temporary injunction on the law in regard to the "named plaintiffs of Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Inc. v. Prince... and those healthcare entities acting under Cardinal Cupich’s authority and those providing care on Plaintiffs’ premises, and does not prevent the Illinois Department of Public Health or the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from pursuing enforcement actions against non-parties who violate the Act." This order only applied to the named plaintiffs in this case.
Now Valderrama has expanded the August temporary restraining order to include nearly all Catholic health care entities, not just the plaintiffs.
According to Thomas More Society, on October 5, Valderrama issued the Stipulated Amended Temporary Restraining Order to replace his previous August 21 order that protected the original plaintiffs in Mary Keen Kirchoff, M.D., et al. v. Treto, Jr. Under the restraining order, nearly all Catholic healthcare institutions in the state, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers, and pharmacies, are protected from being forced to carry out assisted death procedures on patients under the state's End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act.
In addition, the order "protects members of the Catholic Medical Association, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, the National Association of Catholic Nurses, and the Catholic Psychotherapy Association; the physicians and institutions named in the case and those providing care on their premises; and Catholic heath care entities in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois under Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki's authority," reported Thomas More Society.
“Three weeks ago, Illinois was poised to force doctors, nurses, and Catholic hospitals to choose between their consciences and their licenses,” said Peter Breen, Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at Thomas More Society. “This order lifts that threat for nearly every Catholic health care institution in the state and for the members of the state’s largest Catholic and Christian medical associations. We will keep fighting until that protection is permanent.”
He added, "Catholic and Christian health care providers, from hospitals and nursing homes to physicians, nurses, and therapists, strive to heal, not harm, and for generations, have cared for the sick and dying in keeping with their faith. Illinois has no right or authority to coerce them into abandoning that mission. For now, this order protects their freedom to continue caring for patients with dignity, without the threat of losing their licenses or their livelihoods.”
The Stipulated Temporary Restraining Order will remain in effect until the court rules on the plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction or as ordered by the court.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
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·Court expands protection for Catholic healthcare entities from Illinois assisted suicide law
An expanded federal court order now prohibits Illinois from forcing Catholic health institutions from committing assisted suicide on patients; however, the order is temporary.
Three lawsuits have been filed against the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, which was signed into law after proponents hid it as an amendment to the Sanitary Food Preparation Bill last year.
On October 5, U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama of the Northern District of Illinois expanded a previous temporary restraining order, allowing nearly all Catholic health care entities in the state to be protected from the law, not just plaintiffs in a lawsuit.
Valderrama had previously placed a temporary restraining order on the law for the plaintiffs in Mary Keen Kirchoff, M.D., et al. v. Treto, Jr. and a temporary injunction for the plaintiffs in Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Inc. v. Prince.
On December 12, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1950, the "Sanitary Food Preparation Bill," into law. Buried in that law was an amendment to legalize assisted suicide, placed there after previous efforts to pass assisted death failed.
The law took effect on September 12, but at least three lawsuits have been filed against it.
The first was filed in June by the organization End Assisted Suicide, a coalition of disability and patients rights advocates. A federal judge declined that lawsuit, allowing the law to take effect.
The second lawsuit was filed on August 11 by a coalition of religious plaintiffs who argued that the law violates the constitutional right to freedom of speech and religion. On August 21, U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama of the Northern District of Illinois issued a temporary restraining order in Mary Keen Kirchoff, M.D., et al. v. Treto, Jr. against the enforcement of provisions within the "End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients.... pending the issuance of the mandate in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in NIFLA v. Treto and Schroeder v. Treto, and this Court's subsequent ruling on Plaintiffs' expected motion for preliminary injunction." The order protected plaintiffs in the case.
The third lawsuit was filed by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm on September 3. On September 11, Valderrama placed a temporary injunction on the law in regard to the "named plaintiffs of Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Inc. v. Prince... and those healthcare entities acting under Cardinal Cupich’s authority and those providing care on Plaintiffs’ premises, and does not prevent the Illinois Department of Public Health or the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from pursuing enforcement actions against non-parties who violate the Act." This order only applied to the named plaintiffs in this case.
Now Valderrama has expanded the August temporary restraining order to include nearly all Catholic health care entities, not just the plaintiffs.
According to Thomas More Society, on October 5, Valderrama issued the Stipulated Amended Temporary Restraining Order to replace his previous August 21 order that protected the original plaintiffs in Mary Keen Kirchoff, M.D., et al. v. Treto, Jr. Under the restraining order, nearly all Catholic healthcare institutions in the state, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers, and pharmacies, are protected from being forced to carry out assisted death procedures on patients under the state's End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act.
In addition, the order "protects members of the Catholic Medical Association, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, the National Association of Catholic Nurses, and the Catholic Psychotherapy Association; the physicians and institutions named in the case and those providing care on their premises; and Catholic heath care entities in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois under Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki's authority," reported Thomas More Society.
“Three weeks ago, Illinois was poised to force doctors, nurses, and Catholic hospitals to choose between their consciences and their licenses,” said Peter Breen, Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at Thomas More Society. “This order lifts that threat for nearly every Catholic health care institution in the state and for the members of the state’s largest Catholic and Christian medical associations. We will keep fighting until that protection is permanent.”
He added, "Catholic and Christian health care providers, from hospitals and nursing homes to physicians, nurses, and therapists, strive to heal, not harm, and for generations, have cared for the sick and dying in keeping with their faith. Illinois has no right or authority to coerce them into abandoning that mission. For now, this order protects their freedom to continue caring for patients with dignity, without the threat of losing their licenses or their livelihoods.”
The Stipulated Temporary Restraining Order will remain in effect until the court rules on the plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction or as ordered by the court.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Right to Life UK
·Politics
Mark Wiltz
·Politics
Mark Wiltz
·Politics
Cassy Cooke
·Politics
Nancy Flanders
·International
Nancy Flanders
·Issues
Nancy Flanders
·Politics
Nancy Flanders
·International
Nancy Flanders
·Activism
Nancy Flanders
·International
Nancy Flanders
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