A bill recently passed in the Illinois state legislature could give certain patients with terminal conditions the ability to request lethal medication from their doctors — if Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs it into law.

The bill, called the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act , has support from a slim majority of state senators and representatives, but faces opposition from disability services organizations, right-to-life advocates and the Catholic church.

Option to ‘die with dignity’ or flawed system

The bill would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to people with terminal illnesses, but only those with a prognosis of six months or less to live who are deemed mentally competent. The bill sets rules for how the requests for life-ending medication must be ma

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