# Illinois SB2971: DHS-DEMENTIA TRAINING

Illinois SB2971, DHS-DEMENTIA TRAINING, is a 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Cristina Castro (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-05-07 (Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Steve Stadelman) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB2971-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Illinois SB2971
- State: Illinois
- Session: 104th General Assembly (2025–2026)
- Title: DHS-DEMENTIA TRAINING
- Status: in committee
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-27
- Last action: 2026-05-07, Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Steve Stadelman
- Sponsor: Cristina Castro (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Subjects: assignments, behavioral and mental health
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Requires direct service workers employed by the Department of Human Services, or an agency contracted with the Department, to provide services under the Home Services Program to complete at least 2 hours of dementia training at the start of their employment and annually thereafter. Requires the training to cover subjects concerning Alzheimer's disease and dementia, safety risks, and communication and behavior. Requires the Department to provide contractors with dementia training curriculum on the required subjects. Provides that any other laws or rules that impose more rigorous dementia training for direct service workers under the Home Services Program shall apply. Exempts from the training requirements direct service workers who provide proof that they obtained equivalent dementia training in compliance with another law or rule. For personal assistants covered by a collective bargaining agreement, requires the Department to establish, in consultation with the joint training committee created under the collective bargaining agreement, different parameters and specific topics for curriculum covering dementia training.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Cristina Castro (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Adriane L. Johnson (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Laura M. Murphy (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mattie Hunter (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Meg Loughran Cappel (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Rachel Ventura (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Sara Feigenholtz (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Steve Stadelman (Democratic), Senate

## Actions (18)

- 2026-05-07: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Steve Stadelman (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane L. Johnson (Senate)
- 2026-03-26: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachel Ventura (Senate)
- 2026-03-25: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (Senate)
- 2026-03-16: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Postponed - Behavioral and Mental Health (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: Postponed - Behavioral and Mental Health (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Behavioral and Mental Health (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Cristina Castro (Senate)
- 2026-02-03: Assigned to Behavioral and Mental Health (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Referred to Assignments (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: First Reading (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Filed with Secretary by Sen. Cristina Castro (Senate)

## Bill text

- Introduced: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB2971.pdf)
- Senate Amendment 1: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB2971sam001.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS (passed house)
- SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS (passed senate)
- HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY (in committee)
- HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT (in committee)
- SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL (passed senate)
- SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION (signed)

## Sources
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB2971.pdf)
- [Senate Amendment 1 (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB2971sam001.pdf)

## Related
- [HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB5198-2025-2026)
- [SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB1937-2025-2026)
- [HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2563-2025-2026)
- [HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4701-2025-2026)
- [SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3008-2025-2026)
- [SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3484-2025-2026)
- [Illinois bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois/bills)
- [Illinois state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB2971-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).