Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signs bill legalizing assisted suicide

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation Friday that legalizes assisted suicide in the state. Illinois is now the 12th state to legalize suicide, joining California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Key Takeaways:

• JB Pritzker signed SB 1950 on December 12, a bill legalizing assisted suicide in the state.

• The bill was passed by lawmakers in October, after it was added as an amendment to a completely unrelated food safety preparation bill.

• Pritzker touted the bill as compassionate, citing its so-called "safeguards," but it has become the norm to repeal or remove safeguards in jurisdictions where assisted death is allowed and expanded.

• The law will take effect in September 2026.

The Details:

Senate Bill 1950 allows terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to choose to take their own lives via assisted suicide. The assisted suicide component was added as an amendment to a completely unrelated food-safety bill and passed in the dead of night on October 31 — a move called "sneaky" and an "absurd tactic" by the Daily Mail.

After the bill's passage, disability advocates, religious leaders, a group of coroners, and even the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board urged Pritzker not to sign. They pointed to the negative impact that legalizing assisted suicide can have on the state, especially among the disabled, sick, and elderly, who may worry about being a burden or unable to find adequate health care because death is now an option.

Nevertheless, Pritzker appeared to view assisted suicide as an expression of freedom and choice.

“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” said Pritzker in a statement. He continued:

“Today, Illinois honors their strength and courage by enacting legislation that enables patients faced with debilitating terminal illnesses to make a decision, in consultation with a doctor, that helps them avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives. This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy.”

Pritzker also cited "safeguards" in the law, which include things like a waiting period and the need for two physicians to sign off on the request.

“This is a deeply personal decision, and the safeguards in the law are designed to ensure it is made voluntarily, thoughtfully and without pressure,” Pritzker said.

He did not mention the fact that in nearly every jurisdiction that has legalized assisted suicide or euthanasia, lawmakers have later gone and removed (or tried to remove) many of those safeguards. Evidence of this can be seen in California, Vermont, Oregon, and Australia, among others.

The law is scheduled to take effect September 2026. In the meantime, the Illinois Department of Health is responsible for crafting rules, oversight systems, and reporting requirements for the law.

What We're Hearing:

The Illinois Catholic Conference released a statement Friday afternoon calling the bill's signing "heartbreaking."

When Governor Pritzker signed the physician assisted suicide bill into law, he put Illinois on a dangerous and heartbreaking path—one that legitimizes suicide as a valid solution for life’s challenges. Rather than investing in real end-of-life support such as palliative and hospice care, pain management, and family-centered accompaniment, our state has chosen to normalize killing oneself. 

This law ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair. It does nothing to ensure patients are offered services, protected from coercion, or surrounded by loved ones when they kill themselves.

Mary Kate Zander, president of Illinois Right to Life, told Live Action News that Governor Pritzker's handling of the entire situation was "so disheartening."

"He has been posturing for week as though he was weighing both sides of the issue," Zander said. "It was leaked on Wednesday that he planned to sign on Friday despite the fact that he had a scheduled meeting with opponents of the bill on the calendar for Thursday. It's incredibly disingenuous when we see politicians go about things in this way. It really betrays constituents' hopes that their opinions are being given a fair shake."

Additionally, Illinois Right to Life Action said in an email that "the Governor chose to advance a policy that fundamentally undermines the dignity of the human person—especially the most vulnerable among us."

"We grieve this decision," the organization added. "We grieve for patients who may feel pressured at their weakest moments. We grieve for families who deserve better safeguards and true compassionate care. And we grieve for a culture that continues to turn toward death when choosing life becomes difficult."

The Bottom Line:

Legalizing suicide is never an act of compassion or mercy. It strips people of their human dignity and mocks those who suffer, while making it harder for those who don't want to die to find the support and services they need.