Illinois legislation · 104th General Assembly
Illinois HB4461: HOSPITAL COLLECTION LIENS
Status: Signed into law, June 26, 2026
Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. In provisions concerning hospitals and their agents pursuing collection actions, provides that, for any legal action initiated against a patient for unpaid medical debt, a hospital may not file for or be granted a lien upon that patient's primary residence or on any other real property owned by the patient. Effective January 1, 2027.
What the bill says
A bill FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB4461Introduced 1/20/2026, by Rep. Amy BrielSYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: ILCS 88/30 210 ILCS 88/30 ILCS 88/30 Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. In provisions concerninghospitals and their agents pursuing collection actions, provides that, forany legal action initiated against a patient for unpaid medical debt, ahospital may not file for or be granted a lien upon that patient's primaryresidence or on any other real property owned by the patient. EffectiveJanuary 1, 2027…
From the introduced text, January 15, 2026:
A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB4461Introduced 1/20/2026, by Rep. Amy BrielSYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: ILCS 88/30 210 ILCS 88/30 ILCS 88/30 Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. In provisions concerninghospitals and their agents pursuing collection actions, provides that, forany legal action initiated against a patient for unpaid medical debt, ahospital may not file for or be granted a lien upon that patient's primaryresidence or on any other real property owned by the patient. EffectiveJanuary 1, 2027. LRB104 16887 BAB 30298 b LRB104 16887 BAB 30298 b LRB104 16887 BAB 30298 b A BILL FOR HB4461LRB104 16887 BAB 30298 b HB4461 LRB104 16887 BAB 30298 b HB4461 LRB104 16887 BAB 30298 b AN ACT concerning regulation. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: Section 5.The Fair Patient Billing Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows: (210 ILCS 88/30) Sec. 30.Pursuing collection action. (a) Hospitals and their agents may pursue collection action against an uninsured patient only if the following conditions are met: (1) The hospital has complied with the screening requirements set forth in Section 16 and applied and exhausted any discount available to a patient under Section 10 of the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. (2) The hospital has given the uninsured patient the …