Illinois Rep. Briel’s patient billing protection bill passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Rep. Amy Briel aims to prevent hospitals from using patients’ primary residences or real property as collateral when collecting unpaid medical debt, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 74 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while 37 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 40 Democrats and six Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 12 Republicans voted against it.

Briel introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Jan. 15, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB4461, was passed on May 19, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “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.”

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

In essence, this bill amends the Fair Patient Billing Act to bar hospitals and their agents from placing or obtaining liens on a patient’s primary residence or any other real property in connection with legal actions to collect unpaid medical debt. It keeps existing requirements that hospitals must first offer uninsured patients bill review, financial assistance, and reasonable payment plans, and that they secure written approval before outside parties file collection lawsuits. The change appears intended to protect patients’ homes and real estate from being used as collateral in medical debt collection. The bill takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Aarón M. Ortíz (Democrat-1st District), Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (Democrat-21st District), and Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (Democrat-78th District), along with 34 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.

Briel graduated from Illinois State University in 1998.

Briel, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 76th House District, replacing previous state representative Lance Yednock.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.