New Illinois law prohibits retaliation against nursing home residents

Chicago – A new bill has recently been signed into law, aimed at enhancing protections for Illinois nursing home residents.

State Sen. Lakes Collins (D-Chicago) sponsored the bill and joined Good Day Chicago in the studio to talk about what the law means to nursing home residents.

New protection

What we know:

New law, HB 2474, prohibits nursing homes from retaliation against residents who exercise their rights.

If residents face retaliation, they could file a civil suit against the nursing home and recover the damages.

Under the new law, nursing homes must also inform residents annually of their rights to retaliation and how to file a complaint.

Currently, nursing home staff need to receive in-service training designed to prevent retaliatory actions from occurring.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill last Friday. It will come into effect on January 1, 2026.

What they are saying:

Collins is a certified nursing assistant and has worked in nursing homes for over 10 years.

“I met so many residents and heard so many stories, so now as a lawmaker, some of those stories are still true today,” she said. “And when my supporters came to me and told me about many of their recent issues they had in nursing homes, I felt that this bill would fit the situation and would give them an alternative and some resolution.”

Collins added that “there are too many horror stories out there,” and that there is not sufficient accountability to nursing home operators.

“(For) residents, these are places to be respected,” she said. “They should feel protected, we should meet their needs and their desires, and in many cases it's not what we do. That's not to say that every nursing home is bad, there are just bad operators out there and they should definitely be held responsible.”

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