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SB 1950

SANITARY FOOD PREPARATION

104th Regular Session Introduced by Harry Benton and 17 co-sponsors

Illinois authorizes medical aid in dying for mentally capable terminally ill adults, with safeguards, informed consent, capacity checks, and physician/pharmacist roles.

Sent to the Governor
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Bill Summary · SB 1950

SB 1950 — Summary (Enrolled as the "End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act" / "Deb's Law")

Status: Passed both houses; sent to Governor (11/25/2025)
Introduced: 03/05/2025 (Senate) — multiple floor and committee amendments followed

Note on bill history: SB 1950 began as an amendment to the Sanitary Food Preparation Act (adding provisions for “meal kit” / ready‑to‑eat meal distribution facilities). During House consideration the bill’s text was wholly substituted. The enrolled version is a new, comprehensive statute authorizing medical aid in dying (titled the End‑of‑Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, aka “Deb’s Law”).

Main purpose and intent

SB 1950 (Deb’s Law) creates a legal framework in Illinois for medical aid in dying as an additional end‑of‑life option. The General Assembly states its intent to allow mentally capable terminally ill adults to request a prescription for medication they may self‑administer to bring about a peaceful death, while preserving high standards of care, informed consent, and safeguards against coercion.

Key provisions and definitions

  • Short title: “End‑of‑Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” (Deb’s Law).
  • Core concept: “Aid in dying” is defined as a process by which a qualified patient may obtain a prescription for medication under this Act and may self‑administer it to end life peacefully.
  • Definitions included for: adult (18+), attending physician, consulting physician, advanced practice registered nurse (with specified certification), pharmacist, licensed mental health care professional (psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, or APRN), clinical roles, “mental capacity,” “informed decision,” and “coercion or undue influence.”
  • Informed decision requirements: attending and consulting physicians must inform a patient about diagnosis/prognosis; risks and benefits of the medication; probable result; feasible end‑of‑life care options (comfort, palliative, hospice, pain control); the right to withdraw the request at any time; and the right not to obtain or ingest the medication.
  • Mental capacity: the patient must be judged to have capacity by the attending or consulting physician; the Act provides for involvement of a licensed mental health care professional where required.
  • Protections against coercion: the Act defines coercion/undue influence and bars willful attempts to cause a patient to request or self‑administer medication, and actions that prevent a qualified patient’s access contrary to conscience law.
  • Roles and responsibilities: attending and consulting physicians are defined and play central roles in diagnosis, prognosis, counseling, and verification of capacity and voluntariness; pharmacists and other health professionals are also defined.
  • Health care entities and professionals: definitions and references establish which entities and professionals fall within the law’s scope, and the Act contemplates conscience and professional practice considerations.

Who is affected

  • Primary: mentally capable adult Illinois residents diagnosed with a terminal disease who meet the Act’s criteria for a “qualified patient.”
  • Secondary: physicians, pharmacists, advanced practice nurses, licensed mental health professionals, and health care entities involved in diagnosis, counseling, prescribing, dispensing, or providing care.
  • The Department of Public Health: given authority for rulemaking and administration related to implementation and enforcement.

Procedural, administrative, and rulemaking aspects

  • The Department of Public Health is authorized to adopt rules necessary to implement, administer, and enforce the Act.
  • The bill includes detailed statutory definitions and procedural safeguards; additional implementing details (timelines, forms, documentation, reporting, licensing or recordkeeping requirements) are expected to be established in administrative rules or guidance promulgated by the Department.

Impact and context

  • Establishes medical aid in dying as a lawful medical option in Illinois, aligning the State with other jurisdictions that permit similar practices.
  • Balances expansion of end‑of‑life options with statutory safeguards (informed consent, capacity determinations, protections against coercion).
  • May affect clinical practice, pharmacy dispensing, institutional policies, and training/education for providers regarding end‑of‑life counseling and documentation.

If you want, I can:
- Extract and summarize any additional procedural steps or eligibility criteria if you can provide the truncated sections (e.g., exact eligibility standard, timing/number of requests, waiting periods, reporting, or recordkeeping).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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