104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1354 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2 Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that every health care facility in this State shall permit the next of kin of a patient who is on life support to remain with the patient, at the patient's bedside, irrespective of regular hours of visitation. Provides that health care facilities may institute reasonable policies, including reasonable requirements that promote the health, safety, and welfare of the next of kin, the patient, and the employees and other patients of the health care facility without revoking the basic right afforded to the next of kin of a patient who is on life support. Defines "next of kin". LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1354 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2 410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2 Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that every health care facility in this State shall permit the next of kin of a patient who is on life support to remain with the patient, at the patient's bedside, irrespective of regular hours of visitation. Provides that health care facilities may institute reasonable policies, including reasonable requirements that promote the health, safety, and welfare of the next of kin, the patient, and the employees and other patients of the health care facility without revoking the basic right afforded to the next of kin of a patient who is on life support. Defines "next of kin". LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1354 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2 410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2
410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2
Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that every health care facility in this State shall permit the next of kin of a patient who is on life support to remain with the patient, at the patient's bedside, irrespective of regular hours of visitation. Provides that health care facilities may institute reasonable policies, including reasonable requirements that promote the health, safety, and welfare of the next of kin, the patient, and the employees and other patients of the health care facility without revoking the basic right afforded to the next of kin of a patient who is on life support. Defines "next of kin".
LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
A BILL FOR
HB1354LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b HB1354 LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
1 AN ACT concerning health.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Medical Patient Rights Act is amended by
5 changing Section 3.2 as follows:
6 (410 ILCS 50/3.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2)
7 Sec. 3.2. Visitation rights, policies, and procedures.
8 (a) Every health care facility in this State shall permit
9 visitation by any person or persons designated by a patient
10 who is 18 years of age or older and who is allowed rights of
11 visitation unless (1) the facility does not allow any
12 visitation for a patient or patients, or (2) the facility or
13 the patient's physician determines that visitation would
14 endanger the physical health or safety of a patient or
15 visitor, or would interfere with the operations of the
16 facility.
17 (a-5) Notwithstanding subsection (a), during a period for
18 which the Governor has issued a proclamation under Section 7
19 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act declaring that
20 a disaster exists or in the event of an outbreak or epidemic of
21 a communicable disease in the community in which the health
22 care facility is located, a health care facility shall ensure
23 an opportunity for at least one visitor to visit a resident or
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1354 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2 410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2
410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2
Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that every health care facility in this State shall permit the next of kin of a patient who is on life support to remain with the patient, at the patient's bedside, irrespective of regular hours of visitation. Provides that health care facilities may institute reasonable policies, including reasonable requirements that promote the health, safety, and welfare of the next of kin, the patient, and the employees and other patients of the health care facility without revoking the basic right afforded to the next of kin of a patient who is on life support. Defines "next of kin".
LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
A BILL FOR
410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2
LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354- 2 -LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b HB1354 - 2 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 - 2 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
1 patient of the health care facility. A health care facility
2 shall not count a clergy member toward any limit on the number
3 of visitors permitted to visit a resident or patient at one
4 time and shall permit a clergy member to visit with a resident
5 or patient in addition to the permitted number of visitors.
6 Visitation shall be subject to the guidelines, conditions, and
7 limitations of the health care facility's visitation policy
8 and any rules or guidelines established by the U.S. Centers
9 for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease
10 Control and Prevention.
11 Visitors under this subsection may be required by the
12 health care facility to submit to health screenings necessary
13 to prevent the spread of infectious disease. A health care
14 facility may restrict facility access to a visitor who does
15 not pass its health screening requirement. A health care
16 facility may require a visitor to adhere to infection control
17 procedures, including wearing personal protective equipment. A
18 health care facility may deny visitation under this Act if
19 visitation would endanger the physical health or safety of a
20 patient, the visitor, or health care workers or would
21 otherwise create a public health or safety problem.
22 (a-10) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a skilled nursing
23 home, extended care facility, or intermediate care facility
24 may prohibit an individual from visiting a resident or patient
25 of the nursing home or facility if specific facts demonstrate
26 that the individual would endanger his or her physical health
HB1354 - 2 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354- 3 -LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b HB1354 - 3 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 - 3 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
1 or safety or the health or safety of a resident, patient, or
2 health care worker of the nursing home or facility. Any denial
3 of visitation under this subsection (a-10) shall be in writing
4 and shall be provided to the individual and the resident or
5 patient with whom the individual was denied visitation.
6 (a-15) Each skilled nursing home, extended care facility,
7 and intermediate care facility shall:
8 (1) inform each resident of the nursing home or
9 facility (or that individual's representative) of the
10 resident's visitation rights and the nursing home or
11 facility's visitation-related policies and procedures,
12 including any clinical or safety-related restriction or
13 limitation on visitation rights, the reasons for the
14 restriction or limitation, and the persons to whom the
15 restriction or limitation may apply;
16 (2) inform each resident of the resident's right:
17 (A) to consent to receive designated visitors,
18 such as a spouse, including, without limitation, a
19 same-sex spouse; a domestic partner, including,
20 without limitation, a same-sex domestic partner;
21 another family member; or a friend; and
22 (B) to withdraw or deny that consent at any time;
23 (3) not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation
24 privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin,
25 religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or
26 disability; and
HB1354 - 3 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354- 4 -LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b HB1354 - 4 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 - 4 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
1 (4) ensure that all of the resident's visitors enjoy
2 full and equal visitation privileges, consistent with the
3 resident's preferences.
4 (a-20) Notwithstanding subsection (a), every health care
5 facility in this State shall permit the next of kin of a
6 patient who is on life support to remain with the patient, at
7 the patient's bedside, irrespective of regular hours of
8 visitation. Every health care facility in this State may
9 institute reasonable policies, including reasonable
10 requirements that promote the health, safety, and welfare of
11 the next of kin, the patient, and the employees and other
12 patients of the health care facility without revoking the
13 basic right afforded under this subsection to the next of kin
14 of a patient who is on life support to remain with the patient
15 or at the patient's bedside. In this subsection, "next of kin"
16 means one and only one person who is a spouse, or, in the
17 absence of a spouse, a parent, or, in the absence of a parent,
18 a child, or, in the absence of a child, a sibling.
19 (b) Except as provided in subsection (a-5) and subsection
20 (a-20), nothing in this Section shall be construed to further
21 limit or restrict the right of visitation provided by other
22 provisions of law or to restrict the ability of a health care
23 facility to regulate hours of visitation, the number of
24 visitors per patient, or the movement of visitors within the
25 health care facility.
26 (c) For the purposes of this Section a "health care
HB1354 - 4 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354- 5 -LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b HB1354 - 5 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 - 5 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b
HB1354 - 5 - LRB104 06936 BDA 16973 b