SB4188 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 21434 BDA 36497 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB4188

Introduced 4/16/2026, by Sen. Lakesia Collins

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Bereavement Care for All Act. Directs the Department of Public Health to develop a statewide Bereavement Care Strategic Plan and a centralized Bereavement Care Resource and Navigation Hub. Requires the State Board of Education to develop model guidance for school districts regarding grief-informed education. Directs State-funded professional licensing boards to evaluate integration of grief-informed training and education into continuing education requirements. Directs the Department of Public Health to develop screening tools in schools and healthcare settings to identify bereaved children and adults and connect them with appropriate resources. Requires the Department of Public Health to improve data collection regarding bereavement prevalence and disparities and submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly. Authorizes the Department of Public Health to adopt rules. Contains findings. Defines terms.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning health.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Bereavement Care for All Act.

Section 5. Findings; purpose.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) Bereavement is a universal human experience and a significant health, economic, and educational concern affecting communities throughout Illinois.

(2) Approximately 1 in 12 Illinois children experience the death of a parent or sibling before age 18, and this number nearly doubles by age 25.

(3) Bereavement is associated with increased risk of depression, suicide, substance use disorder, poor school outcomes, workforce instability, chronic disease, and financial hardship.

(4) Sudden and unexpected deaths, including suicide, overdose, homicide, maternal mortality, and infant mortality, have reached record levels in Illinois, yet bereavement care remains largely absent from statewide behavioral health planning and funding priorities.

(5) Racial disparities in mortality result in disproportionate and earlier, more frequent exposure to loss in Black communities and historically marginalized communities.

(6) Institutional systems often fail to identify and respond to bereavement, resulting in fragmented care and missed opportunities for support. In addition, most professionals receive little or no training in grief-informed practices, limiting effective support for grieving individuals and families.

(7) Investing in coordinated, equitable, and culturally responsive bereavement care will mitigate immediate and long-term physical, behavioral, educational, and economic consequences of loss.

(b) The purpose of this Act is to establish a comprehensive statewide bereavement care strategy to improve access to support, strengthen workforce capacity, reduce disparities, and integrate grief-informed practices across Illinois public systems.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Bereavement" means the experience of loss due to death.

"Grief-informed" means having policies and practices that recognize the prevalence and impact of bereavement and promote a holistic understanding, compassionate, culturally responsive care, and coordinated access to appropriate supports and resources.

"State agency" means any department, board, commission, or authority of the executive branch.

Section 15. Bereavement Care Strategic Plan.

(a) The Department of Public Health shall develop a statewide Bereavement Care Strategic Plan, in consultation with statewide professional organizations and State agency representatives, including, but not limited to:

(1) the Department of Public Health;

(2) the Department of Human Services;

(3) the State Board of Education;

(4) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services;

(5) the Department of Children and Family Services;

(6) the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority;

(7) at least 3 community-based bereavement providers;

(8) representatives from communities disproportionately impacted by premature death; and

(9) at least 2 individuals with lived experience of bereavement.

(b) The Strategic plan shall:

(1) recommend standards for grief-informed training and protocols;

(2) identify gaps in services across geographic regions; and

(3) identify funding opportunities, including federal and settlement funds.

(c) The Department of Public Health, in consultation with statewide professional organizations and State agency representatives described under subsection (a), shall submit recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly within 18 months after the effective date of this Act and shall review and update the Bereavement Care Strategic Plan every 3 years thereafter.

Section 20. Statewide Bereavement Resource and Navigation Hub.

(a) The Department of Public Health shall establish or designate a centralized Statewide Bereavement Resource and Navigation Hub.

(b) The Statewide Bereavement Resource and Navigation Hub shall:

(1) maintain a publicly accessible, searchable directory of community-based, culturally responsive bereavement services;

(2) provide navigation assistance for families seeking services;

(3) include resources related to Social Security survivor benefits and victim compensation;

(4) coordinate with 2-1-1 systems and existing health and human service platforms; and

(5) prioritize outreach in high-need and underserved regions.

Section 25. Grief-informed education and workforce training.

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop model guidance for school districts to:

(1) identify grieving students;

(2) establish grief-informed protocols for responding to deaths within their school community;

(3) integrate grief awareness into social-emotional learning frameworks.

(b) State-funded professional licensing boards shall evaluate integration of, and may integrate, grief-informed training and education into continuing education requirements for:

(1) educators;

(2) mental health professionals;

(3) healthcare providers;

(4) first responders;

(5) criminal justice personnel; and

(6) funeral professionals.

(c) Education and training under this Section shall prioritize culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate approaches.

Section 30. Screening and identification protocols.

(a) The Department of Public Health, in consultation with relevant agencies, shall develop model screening tools for use in schools and healthcare settings to identify bereaved children and adults and connect them with appropriate resources.

(b) The Department of Public Health shall evaluate the feasibility of adding, and may add, an optional checkbox to death certificates indicating whether the deceased leaves behind dependent children, for purposes of survivor benefit outreach and service connection.

(c) Implementation of this Section shall comply with all privacy and confidentiality laws.

Section 35. Data; reporting; rules.

(a) The Department of Public Health shall improve data collection regarding bereavement prevalence and disparities.

(b) The Department of Public Health shall submit a report, concurrently with the recommendations submitted within 18 months after the effective date of this Act and every 3 years thereafter under subsection (c) of Section 15, containing summaries of the following information:

(1) service utilization;

(2) identified gaps;

(3) disparities in access; and

(4) recommendations for further action.

(c) The Department of Public Health may adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer this Act.