Illinois legislation · 104th General Assembly
Illinois SB2895: HEALING THROUGH HISTORY ACT
Status: In committee, May 15, 2026
Creates the Healing Through History Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide prospective adoptive families, no less than 30 days prior to adoption finalization, with a complete, unredacted copy of the child's full case record, including, but not limited to: (i) all placement histories and foster home records; (ii) all caseworker notes and observations; (iii) all educational, psychological, and behavioral reports; (iv) all therapy or counseling notes, subject to certain federal requirements; and (v) all medical records in full, including historical records. Provides that former foster youth aged 18 or older are entitled to receive the same information and records at no cost in both physical and digital form. Contains provisions concerning ongoing record access post-adoption or post-emancipation; the development of Department protocols and infrastructure necessary to collect, preserve, and transmit full child records; exemption and confidentiality protections; federal disclosure requirements; and other matters. Effective January 1, 2026.
What the bill says
A bill FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026SB2895Introduced 1/16/2026, by Sen. Darby A. HillsSYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act New Act Creates the Healing Through History Act. Requires the Department ofHealthcare and Family Services to provide prospective adoptive families,no less than 30 days prior to adoption finalization, with a complete,unredacted copy of the child's full case record, including, but notlimited (ii) allcaseworker notes and observations; (iii) all educational, psychological,and behavioral reports…
From the introduced text, January 16, 2026:
A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026SB2895Introduced 1/16/2026, by Sen. Darby A. HillsSYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act New Act Creates the Healing Through History Act. Requires the Department ofHealthcare and Family Services to provide prospective adoptive families,no less than 30 days prior to adoption finalization, with a complete,unredacted copy of the child's full case record, including, but notlimited (ii) allcaseworker notes and observations; (iii) all educational, psychological,and behavioral reports; (iv) all therapy or counseling notes, subject tocertain federal requirements; and (v) all medical records in full,including historical records. Provides that former foster youth aged 18 orolder are entitled to receive the same information and records at no costin both physical and digital form. Contains provisions concerning ongoingrecord access post-adoption or post-emancipation; the development ofDepartment protocols and infrastructure necessary to collect, preserve,and transmit full child records; exemption and confidentialityprotections; federal disclosure requirements; and other matters. EffectiveJanuary 1, 2026. LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b A BILL FOR SB2895LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b SB2895 LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b SB2895 LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b AN ACT concerning State government. 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 Healing …