CD CORR-END OF LIFE CARE

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4434

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of HB4434

Home

Legislation

Full Text

HB4434 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Engrossed

House Amendment 001

House Amendment 002

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Engrossed

House Amendment 001

House Amendment 002

Open PDF

HB4434 Engrossed
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

AN ACT concerning criminal law.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
5
adding Section 3-2-15.1 as follows:

6

(730 ILCS 5/3-2-15.1 new)
7

Sec. 3-2-15.1.
Department of Corrections; End-of-life Care
8
Peer Support Program.
9

(a) References. This Section may be referred to as
10
Humanizing End-of-Life Care for People in Prison.
11

(b) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds that:
12

(1) A significant number of people in the Department
13

of Corrections are aging, experiencing terminal illnesses,
14

or dying.
15

(2) According to the Department's 2024 Annual Report,
16

the Department incarcerates the following populations of
17

aging people:
18

(A) 3,002 individuals between the ages of 55 and
19

64.
20

(B) 1,045 individuals between the ages of 65 and
21

74.
22

(C) 206 individuals between the ages of 75 and 90.
23

(3) As a result of the aging prison population, more

HB4434 Engrossed
- 2 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

incarcerated persons are in need of end-of-life care and
2

support services.
3

(4) Prison is disabling and contributes to accelerated
4

aging due to inadequate healthcare, high-stress
5

environments, and lack of physical movement or cognitive
6

stimuli.
7

(5) Mass incarceration is a public health crisis.
8

(6) People in prison and returning home after
9

incarceration, on average, have higher healthcare needs.
10

(A) The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that,
11

in 2011, 44 percent of people who are incarcerated had
12

a mental health disorder.
13

(B) Compared to the general population, both men
14

and women who are incarcerated are more likely to have
15

high blood pressure, asthma, cancer, arthritis, and
16

infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis
17

C, and HIV.
18

(C) Women who have been incarcerated are
19

disproportionately likely to suffer from conditions
20

such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and high blood
21

pressure, and are at greater risk for several
22

infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, HPV, and other
23

sexually transmitted diseases.
24

(7) People in State prisons often suffer from unmet
25

health needs which lead to medical complications and
26

premature and preventable deaths.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 3 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(8) Comprehensive end-of-life care requires approaches
2

that are patient-centered and family-centered;
3

peer-to-peer; inclusive; and accountable to patients and
4

their families.
5

(9) The Department has some end-of-life services in a
6

few facilities; rather, end-of-life care is provided on a
7

prison-by-prison basis which results in coordinated care
8

for some individuals in custody who have been diagnosed
9

with terminal illnesses or who are expected to reach the
10

end of their life.
11

(A) The Department's existing end-of-life care
12

program is, in part, provided by other incarcerated
13

individuals.
14

(B) The Department's existing end-of-life care
15

programs are not available to incarcerated women.
16

(10) Peer-to-peer hospice programs can significantly
17

benefit the lives of not only participants but also
18

incarcerated volunteers by bringing value to their own
19

lives, providing an opportunity for penance for past
20

offenses through service to others, and developing healthy
21

coping mechanisms to feelings of loss and grief.
22

(11) Because peer-to-peer programs positively benefit
23

volunteers, decreases in recidivism rates can be expected
24

for those who complete the program.
25

(12) The nation is facing a looming care worker
26

shortage.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 4 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(13) Peer-to-peer hospice program volunteers can
2

utilize their skills to achieve employment and a career
3

path following release while providing much needed care
4

support.
5

(c) Purposes.
6

(1) This Section establishes a peer-to-peer,
7

non-medical, end-of-life care program in the Department to
8

provide care to individuals in custody who are diagnosed
9

with a terminal illness or medical incapacitation.
10

(2) This program shall expand and formalize the
11

Department's existing Assisted Living Attendant Program
12

and shall ensure that people dying in the Department
13

receive patient-directed, peer-provided, dignified
14

end-of-life care.
15

(3) This program shall work in conjunction with prison
16

medical and correctional staff and shall not replace or
17

impede upon any medical staff or services.
18

(d) Definitions. As used in this Section:
19

(1) "Terminal illness" means a condition that
20

satisfies all of the following criteria, as defined in
21

3-3-14:
22

(A) The condition is irreversible and incurable.
23

(B) In accordance with medical standards and a
24

reasonable degree of medical certainty, based on an
25

individual assessment, the condition is likely to
26

cause death within 18 months.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 5 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(2) "Medically incapacitated" means an individual in
2

custody has any diagnosable medical condition, including
3

dementia and severe, permanent medical or cognitive
4

disability, that prevents the individual in custody from
5

completing more than one activity of daily living without
6

assistance or that incapacitates the individual in custody
7

to the extent that institutional confinement does not
8

offer additional restrictions, and that the condition is
9

unlikely to improve noticeably in the future.
10

(3) "End-of-life care" means support services that
11

address the physical, social, spiritual, psychological and
12

emotional needs of those that are dying who are in the
13

custody of the Department of Corrections.
14

(4) "Peer support attendant" means a companion and
15

assistant to individuals in custody who are diagnosed with
16

a terminal illness or who have compromised functioning as
17

the result of a chronic medical illness.
18

(e) Program requirements.
19

(1) The program shall be called the End-of-life Care
20

Peer Support Program.
21

(2) The program shall be administered by the
22

Department in partnership with the following entities:
23

(A) Hospice organizations.
24

(B) Centers for independent living and other
25

disability organizations.
26

(C) Prison hospice organizations.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 6 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(D) Community clergy.
2

(E) Licensed clinical social workers.
3

(F) Behavioral therapists.
4

(G) Translation services, including both spoken
5

and unspoken languages.
6

(3) The scope of the program's services shall cover
7

the following:
8

(A) Services shall be provided 24 hours per day, 7
9

days per week.
10

(B) Recognizing the uniqueness of each facility,
11

services shall be available in each facility that
12

houses aging or medically vulnerable populations,
13

including, but not limited to, the following
14

correctional centers: Big Muddy, Centralia, Danville,
15

Decatur, Dixon, Fox Valley, Graham, Hill, Illinois
16

River, Lawrence, Menard, Pinckneyville, Pontiac,
17

Taylorville, and Western Illinois. The Department
18

shall ensure transfer and transportation of all
19

individuals that require end-of-life care to a
20

facility that offers the program.
21

(C) Wherever possible, and subject to internal
22

security rules, incarcerated individuals receiving
23

end-of-life care shall be granted special privileges
24

including additional opportunities for visitation and
25

communication, with increased access to
26

non-incarcerated family and friends and incarcerated

HB4434 Engrossed
- 7 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

peers.
2

(D) All care shall be coordinated at monthly
3

meetings, with weekly meetings as necessary, with an
4

interdisciplinary team including the following:
5

(i) Facility Medical Director or
6

Hospice/Palliative Program Coordinator, or both.
7

(ii) Nursing staff.
8

(iii) Mental health professionals.
9

(iv) Clergy or chaplain.
10

(v) Peer support attendants.
11

(vi) Food service manager or managers.
12

(vii) Family.
13

(E) Placement or transfer of eligible patients
14

into medical wings or facilities which host the
15

program, or both.
16

(F) Peer supported attendant assisted tasks shall
17

include, but are not limited to, the following:
18

(i) Housekeeping tasks such as cleaning,
19

laundry, stocking hygiene supplies, dusting,
20

ensuring physical safe spaces.
21

(ii) Assistance with hygiene; body
22

positioning; using electric bed controls;
23

non-medical feeding support; mobility support;
24

grooming; changing clothes; assisting medical
25

staff with bed baths and showering; and other
26

tasks as needed and designated by the Medical

HB4434 Engrossed
- 8 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

Director.
2

(iii) Clerical assistance, including letter
3

writing; commissary lists; request slips; support
4

with medical requests and directives; financial
5

documents, final remarks, and filing grievances.
6

(iv) Facilitated communication with family,
7

counselors, and spiritual leaders.
8

(v) Support of cultural practices, rituals,
9

and beliefs as requested by patients.
10

(4) Individuals in custody shall be eligible to
11

participate as patients in the program if they meet any
12

one or a combination of the following:
13

(A) Diagnosis with a terminal illness.
14

(B) Medical incapacitation due to illness or
15

injury.
16

(C) Eligibility for compassionate release,
17

including while awaiting release which has been
18

approved by the Prison Review Board.
19

(5) Individuals in custody shall be eligible to
20

participate as peer support attendants in the program if
21

they complete the following:
22

(A) Submit an Offender Request Slip to the
23

Assistant Warden of Programs or the Assistant Warden's
24

designee.
25

(i) The Assistant Warden of Programs shall
26

evaluate the individuals' security status. If the

HB4434 Engrossed
- 9 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

individual does not pose a clear risk to safety
2

and security, the individual shall be eligible for
3

participation in the program.
4

(ii) The Assistant Warden of Programs or the
5

Assistant Warden's designee shall provide, in
6

writing, an explanation regarding any decision to
7

deny an individual access to the program,
8

including a specific reason as to why they were
9

denied.
10

(B) Participation in the program shall be
11

voluntary.
12

(C) Peer support attendants shall reflect the
13

diversity of the individuals in custody served,
14

whenever possible.
15

(6) Training shall be provided to all peer support
16

attendants as follows:
17

(A) All peer support attendants shall receive
18

hospice and adult care volunteer training upon
19

entrance into the program.
20

(B) Peer support attendants shall receive
21

continuing training and education on end-of-life care,
22

appropriate to the peer support attendants'
23

responsibilities.
24

(C) Trainings shall include information on the
25

following topics:
26

(i) Trauma-informed care.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 10 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(ii) ADA accommodations and support.
2

(iii) Cultural competency and LGBTQIA+
3

affirming care.
4

(iv) Active listening.
5

(v) Grief and loss support.
6

(vi) Confidentiality and boundaries.
7

(vii) Elder care and comfort.
8

(viii) Caregiving in a correctional setting.
9

(D) Peer support attendants shall receive earned
10

program sentence credits for each day of training in
11

which they participate. Peer support attendants shall
12

also receive certifications as appropriate based on
13

their completed training.
14

(7) The program shall center patients' needs, as
15

defined below:
16

(A) Individual patients may accept or decline care
17

or participation in the program. Individual patients
18

shall define the scope of peer support, including the
19

option to opt out of certain aspects of support.
20

(B) Patient care plans shall be developed with the
21

individual patient, the patient's peer support
22

attendants, and the interdisciplinary team defined in
23

subparagraph (D) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e).
24

(i) Patient care plans shall incorporate
25

culturally and disability-competent expertise and
26

address patients' spiritual needs.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 11 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(ii) Patient care plans shall be considerate
2

of both patient and family goals for care, while
3

prioritizing the patient's goals.
4

(C) Patients eligible for participation in the
5

program shall receive services as soon as practicable
6

under the circumstances.
7

(D) Patients' medical privacy shall be ensured
8

throughout the entirety of their participation in the
9

program.
10

(E) Individual patients may choose whether to
11

release medical or end-of-life care status, or both,
12

to their family members. If patients so choose, the
13

Department must assist patients in completing advanced
14

healthcare directives and assigning powers of
15

attorney.
16

(F) To the extent possible, participating patients
17

shall have the right to medically accessible,
18

temperature-regulated housing units which are
19

appropriate for their mobility and communication
20

needs.
21

(G) Participating patients shall be subject to the
22

least restrictive security measures possible, with
23

access to comfort items such as blankets, memorabilia,
24

music, and books.
25

(8) The program shall follow the reporting
26

requirements outlined in Section 3-2-15, the Eddie Thomas

HB4434 Engrossed
- 12 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

Act.
2

(f) Additional protections.
3

(1) Participating patients shall have the following
4

rights:
5

(A) Right to dignity, privacy, respect, and
6

culturally competent care.
7

(B) Right to request peer support services.
8

(C) Right to refuse services.
9

(D) Right to request family visitation.
10

(2) Peer support attendants shall be protected from
11

retaliatory actions in response to participating in the
12

program or reporting issues related to the program or
13

delivery of health care. Retaliatory actions include but
14

are not limited to verbal abuse, restrictive housing
15

assignments, denial of medical or mental health care,
16

physical assault, transfers to harsher facilities, or
17

revocation of privileges such as phone calls, visits,
18

commissary, day room opportunities, or yard time.
19

(3) All participants in the program, including
20

patients and peer support attendants, shall have access to
21

grief counseling and mental health care services as
22

needed.
23

(4) The Department must provide a grievance process
24

for incarcerated individuals and their families to report
25

abuse, bias, coercion, discrimination, or other adverse
26

actions that are not in accordance with this Section.

HB4434 Engrossed
- 13 -
LRB104 18059 RLC 31498 b
1

(g) Funding. This program shall be funded through:
2

(1) the Individual Benefit Fund; and

3

(2) federal appropriations if applicable.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn