Illinois Rep. Grasse’s corrections hospice care reporting bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Nicolle Grasse seeks to improve oversight of end-of-life care by mandating annual reports on hospice and palliative services within Illinois correctional institutions following its approval in both chambers, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 69 Democrats and nine Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 27 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 33 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while 19 Republicans voted against it.

Grasse introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Jan. 31, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB2397, was passed on May 22, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Eddie Thomas Act. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that no later than December 1 of each year, the Department of Corrections shall prepare a report to be published on its website that contains, at a minimum, the following information about hospice and palliative care in its institutions and facilities during the prior fiscal year: (1) demographic data of committed persons who received hospice and palliative care; (2) data on the number of committed persons in the Department’s hospice and palliative care programs; (3) data on the timing of hospice and palliative care programming; (4) the number of committed persons in the custody of the Department who died; (5) policies and administrative directives of each Department institution and facility regarding the institution of hospice and palliative care; (6) the staff available for hospice and palliative care; and (7) the cost of the Department’s hospice and palliative care programs. Provides that all such data shall be anonymized to protect the privacy of the committed persons involved in the hospice and palliative care programs.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates the Illinois Department of Corrections to compile and publish an annual report on hospice and palliative care services within its institutions by Dec. 1 each year. The report must include demographic data of inmates receiving care, statistics on program participation, and reasons for any denied admissions. It will also provide information on the timing of care, policies regarding hospice services, and resources available, including staff and volunteers. The report should detail the costs associated with these programs and ensure all data is anonymized to protect inmate privacy. This initiative stems from the rapid aging of the prison population and aims to evaluate and improve end-of-life care within Illinois correctional facilities.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Adriane Johnson (Democrat-30th District), Rep. Amy Briel (Democrat-76th District), and Rep. Barbara Hernandez (Democrat-50th District), along with 17 other sponsors.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Grasse graduated from Elmhurst College with a BA.

Grasse, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2024 to represent the state’s 53rd House District, replacing previous state representative Mark L. Walker.