Illinois would limit cuts to state developmental disability facility beds

The Department of Human Services would need a health or safety purpose to cut the number of available beds. The restriction would cover state-run facilities for people with developmental disabilities and the health or safety of their residents and employees. The governor could still issue emergency orders to protect these residents or employees.

The department would have to try converting beds when reorganizing a facility or changing its use reduces developmental disability bed capacity. The options would be state-run psychiatric hospital beds with minimum security or state-run forensic step-down units, whose care the bill does not define. The department would decide what effort is reasonable; conversion would not be guaranteed. Bed cuts would still need a resident or employee health or safety purpose.