Bill > HB2812

This bill amends the Medical Patient Rights Act to establish a specific visitation right for the next of kin of patients on life support. The bill mandates that every health care facility in Illinois must allow the patient's next of kin to remain with the patient at their bedside, regardless of standard visitation hours. The term "next of kin" is precisely defined as a hierarchical order of relationships: first a spouse, then a parent, then a child, and finally a sibling. While requiring this visitation right, the bill also allows health care facilities to create reasonable policies that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the next of kin, the patient, other patients, and facility employees. These policies cannot revoke the fundamental right of the next of kin to be present with a patient on life support. The bill builds upon existing visitation rights in healthcare settings, which already provide protections for patient visitation while allowing facilities to manage visitation in ways that ensure overall safety and operational effectiveness.

Justice

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2812&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104