Lawsuit argues Illinois' medically assisted dying law would discriminate against people with disabilities

Several lawsuits are challenging Illinois' medical aid in dying law that is set to take effect on Sept. 12, including one in federal court arguing the law discriminates against people with disabilities.

The End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, also known as "Deb's Law," was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in December 2025. It allows some terminally ill patients to seek medical help to die on their own terms. The federal judge did not make a ruling Friday, but said he will do so "as soon as possible" before the law takes effect.

Disability advocate groups Patients Rights Action Fund, Progress Center for Independent Living and others filed the lawsuit heard in federal court today.

"This can be used as a weapon against vulnerable populations," argued palliative care Dr. Nooshig Salvador with Patients Action Fund.

"People need support to live, not to die," said Horacio Esparza, executive director of Progress Center for Independent Living.

"Already doctors don't understand disability," said Debbie Pittman, president of Progress Center for Independent Living. "And maybe in their mind they might be thinking, 'I'd rather be dead than have a disability.'"

In a lengthy court hearing, their attorney argued the discussion of assisted suicide would be part of the "standard of care" for doctors, and people with disabilities in particular will feel pressured if it were to go into effect.

"I don't think there could ever be enough guardrails to ensure that there's a way to protect everyone, because there's no coming back from death," said plaintiff Ebony Payne.

The law requires two doctors to determine a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. To get the medication to end their life, the patient must request it orally and in writing, and the medication must be self-administered. Patients who opt into medically assisted dying must also be fully informed of all end-of-life care options including comfort care, hospice, pain control and palliative care.

Critics argued that people with disabilities don't always get equal access to all of those options.

"That doesn't always happen from what I've seen," said community organizer Clark Craig.

But attorneys for the state argued that "medical aid in dying is completely voluntary and controlled by the patient." They said "an injunction would rob qualifying patients of their ability to access medical aid in dying."

They also argued that if a patient truly felt pressured to look into assisted dying, there are legal remedies like filing a complaint with the state or a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Illinois is the first Midwestern state to pass a medical aid in dying law. As of 2025, 12 other states had already legalized the practice, and eight more were considering similar legislation.

Cardinal Blase Cupich and two orders of Catholic nuns have also filed a lawsuit looking to stop the law from taking effect on religious grounds.