Another piece of legislation also attacks private schools and homeschools 

By ANDREW HANSEN 
Editor

Legislation that will legalize physician assisted suicide in Illinois is back at the Illinois Statehouse after the previous Illinois General Assembly did not take up a vote on the legislation in early January. Meanwhile, another piece of legislation has been filed that attacks private schools and homeschools.

Senate Bill 9 and House Bill 1328 are now the pieces of legislation that would legalize the right for someone to kill themselves. Contact your state lawmakers and tell them to vote “No.”

Proponents refer to this as Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), but using the word “medical” to describe the intentional taking of a life distorts the meaning of medicine and masks what Senate Bill 9 is about, which is why it should really be referred to as “assisted suicide.” 

In keeping with our faith traditions, legalizing assisted suicide goes against the Church’s teachings on the sanctity and dignity of human life. It undermines the value of each human person, particularly those who are vulnerable. 

Laws permitting assisted suicide pose significant risks to the poor, marginalized, and disabled, who may face pressure to end their lives rather than receive the care and compassion they need and deserve. There are documented cases in states where assisted suicide has been legalized, where individuals with rare or life-threatening conditions were denied necessary medical treatment and were instead offered life-ending prescriptions.

Lawmakers should look to the example set by Canada, where initial safeguards meant to limit assisted suicide to individuals with terminal illnesses have been gradually expanded to include people suffering from mental illness. 

Illinois does not need to legalize assisted suicide. What we truly need is increased access to quality health care, enhanced palliative care options, and loving and compassionate support services for those at the end of their life. These are the alternatives that uphold the dignity of every person.

Another piece of legislation to contact your state representative about is House Bill 2827, which would require every non-public school in Illinois to provide the name, date of birth, and address of each child attending its school along with name and address of at least one parent to both the State and regional offices of education. Tell your state representative to vote “No.”

Forcing Catholic schools to provide personally identifiable data of our students and families not only violates a basic trust between the school and the family, but also codifies an overreaching State policy that creates an intrusive relationship between the State and private institutions.

HB 2827 also seeks to regulate homeschooling in Illinois. All homeschool parents will be required to annually register with the State and submit the same aforementioned information to the State and local educational organizations. In addition, beginning Aug. 1, 2026, the bill would require every non-public school to register with the state annually. Currently, nonpublic school registration and recognition are voluntary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. This legislation runs counter to this time-tested principle. This legislation is an unfunded mandate on our schools as well as an example of government overreach.

For more information on these pieces of legislation and how to find and contact your state senator and state representative, visit ilcatholic.org.