Illinois enacts ‘Deb’s law’, granting terminal patients a medically assisted death option

Illinois’ End of Life Options Act, popularly called ‘Deb’s law’, went into force on Sept. 12, permitting terminally ill adults to receive a prescribed medication to end their lives. The measure is named for Deb Robertson, a 68-year-old cancer patient who spent years lobbying legislators after her diagnosis forced her into early retirement. Robertson welcomed the law, describing it as a chance to die with dignity, while critics—including disability advocate Ebony Payne and several Catholic bishops—argued it endangers vulnerable populations and conflicts with religious conscience.

Courts have so far denied injunctions sought by these opponents, allowing the law to be implemented. The legislation adds Illinois to a growing list of states, such as New York, Oregon, Washington and California, that have adopted similar assisted-dying statutes.