Last month, the Illinois House took up consideration of a physician-assisted suicide bill. This development placed Illinois among a growing number of states considering what proponents call medical aid-in-dying, a controversial end-of-life option.
To date, 11 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized physician-assisted suicide, while numerous other states have debated or introduced related legislation in 2025.
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What is physician-assisted suicide?
Physician-assisted suicide is the process by which a person, with the help of medical professionals, takes actions to end their life.
Oregon first legalized the practice in 1994, but it has remained controversial due to complex legal, ethical, medical, and societal considerations.
James Sabin, professor of medical ethics at Harvard University’s Medical School and former member of the American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, said the right way to look at physician-assisted suicide is through the lens of “care, compassion, respect, and dignity.”
He added that when approached in this way, justifiable arguments can be made for and against it.
“Not surprisingly,” he noted, “public policy in different states has come to different conclusions.”
Physician-assisted suicide advocates argue legalization gives the option to terminally ill individuals to “decrease fears and the feeling of powerlessness,” according to Compassion & Choices, a nonprofit organization.
Groups that oppose physician-assisted suicide argue that it’s a violation of medical ethics, devalues life, and puts the disabled and marginalized at risk.
“Assisted suicide laws are inherently discriminatory public policy: when some people get suicide prevention, and others get suicide help, namely people with life-threatening disabilities, you’ve created a two-tiered system of medicine, resulting in death to the devalued group,” said Matt Valliere, executive director of the Patients Rights Action Fund.
“When many people do not have equal access to care in our broken healthcare system, when getting excellent care remains expensive, difficult, and elusive, and while assisted suicide is easy, quick, and cheap, that’s not a choice, it’s eugenics,” Valliere said.
Individual states have taken markedly different approaches, with a few changing their laws in 2025.
States that have passed or are considering new laws
Delaware
Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer signed the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of a Life Options Act on May 20. The bill allows terminally ill adults, with no more than a six-month death prognosis, to consider physician-assisted suicide.
“This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms without unnecessary pain and surrounded by the people they love the most,” Meyer said in a statement.
The legislation passed 21-17 in the House and 11-8 in the Senate. The medication can only be prescribed to the terminally ill patient after two verbal and one written requests.
The law will take effect by Jan. 1, 2026.
Illinois
Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, a Democrat, added language from a stalled physician-assisted suicide bill into SB 1950, a food preparation bill the Senate had already passed.
The House passed the bill, but the legislative session ended without final approval from the Senate. The legislation’s fate is now unclear.
New York
On April 29, the New York Assembly passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act in a close vote following hours of debate.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, applauded the bill’s passage, saying the legislation “is about giving individuals autonomy, dignity, and choice at the end of their lives.”
If the bill passes, patients in New York will need two doctors, including the patient’s attending physician, to agree that the person qualifies under the law before receiving the prescription. The bill passed 81-67 in the Assembly and awaits a decision in the state Senate.
Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has not publicly supported the act and said she will not commit to bringing it to the floor before the legislative session ends. However, she noted that if the act has the support, it will eventually see the floor.
“I know we have the votes,” Senate supporter Brad Hoylman-Sigal said in an interview with City & State. “It’s a matter of continuing to raise the issue with leadership.”
States where physician-assisted suicide has been legalized
California: In 2015, the End of Life Option Act was signed into law, legalizing physician-assisted suicide.
Colorado: In 2016, the End of Life Options Act was passed, with more protective legislation enacted in 2024.
Hawaii: The Our Care Our Choice Act was enacted in 2019, with additional legislation increasing access passing in 2023.
Maine: The Death with Dignity Act was signed in 2019, and an additional amendment allowing attending physicians to waive any portion of waiting periods is in the Health and Human Services Committee, awaiting a decision.
Montana: The Baxter v. Montana state Supreme Court decision in 2009 made physician-assisted suicide legal, but it has faced opposing lawmakers attempting to remove physician protections.
New Jersey: The Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act was approved on April 12, 2019, and went into effect on Aug. 1, 2019.
New Mexico: The Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act was enacted in 2021.
Oregon: Oregon enacted the Death with Dignity Act in 1994, making it the first state with such a law.
Vermont: Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the Patient Choice and Control End of Life Act in 2013, and a new amendment allowing naturopathic doctors to participate is awaiting scheduling for another public hearing and vote.
Washington: Voters approved the Death with Dignity Act on the general election ballot in 2008. A bill providing additional protections was tried this year but failed to meet deadlines, preventing it from advancing.
Washington, D.C.: In 2016, the Death with Dignity Act was passed.
States that considered legislation in 2025
In 2025, the following states introduced bills or held hearings but failed to advance legislation: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE POISED TO PASS PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE
States without legislative activity in 2025
No legislative action was taken in these states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.