No one should have to live in fear simply for speaking out. Yet across Illinois, seniors and people with disabilities in nursing homes face this exact terror—afraid that if they or their loved ones raise concerns about neglect or mistreatment, they will be punished for it. It’s time we give them the protection they need and deserve.

To protect residents, owners must be held accountable, as Senator Collins and her co-sponsors have called for.

The right to speak up without retaliation is more than just a legal principle—it’s a matter of basic human dignity. For residents of nursing homes, this right can be the difference between suffering in silence and having a voice that is heard. These are our parents, our grandparents, our most vulnerable neighbors. They have every right to expect compassion and respect, not fear and retribution, from those responsible for their care.

Nursing home owners must do more than simply profit from their facilities; they must be accountable for what happens within them. Holding owners accountable for harms done in the course of operations is a long-established legal principle.
Owners already have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure proper care to residents and compliance with rules and regulations. What's missing is an incentive.

Owners hire, train, supervise, discipline their employees. Owners control the environment in these facilities, and determine what is and what is not acceptable. If they are not held responsible when retaliation occurs, nothing will change.

I urge you to take a stand for the dignity, safety, and rights of our most vulnerable citizens. Please choose people over profits and support stronger protections against retaliation in our nursing homes, including the including the right to recover damages and court costs from owners that allow retaliation.