AARP Illinois Statement on 2025 Spring Legislative Session

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The following statement was issued by AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent following the closing of the 2025 Spring Legislative Session:

“Throughout the 2025 spring legislative session, AARP Illinois volunteers and staff have aggressively championed the well-being of our 1.7 million members, as well as all Illinoisans 50-plus and their families. We are proud to highlight the following wins, which bring new protections to older adults from modern-day fraud, increase the mandatory age in which older adults have been forced to take the behind-the-wheel exam for license renewal, protect nursing home residents’ safety and well-being and ensures that a new portal to support caregivers will be developed as promised. AARP Illinois encourages Governor Pritzker to sign these important pieces of legislation into law.

CAREGIVING/HOME AND COMMUNITY- BASED SERVICES 

Illinois Caregiver Portal: Thanks in large part to the voices of AARP members and volunteers, the Illinois Caregiver Portal will enter its initial phase of development and implementation under this year’s state budget.

The portal, passed in 2024, received support from the Governor’s office and the Illinois Department on Aging to be implemented on schedule by 2027, offering Illinoisans a one-stop shop for caregivers on the portal with access to federal, state, and local caregiving resources, long-term care information, home and community-based services, veterans’ resources and more.

Home and Community-Based Services Funding: The approved FY26 Illinois state budget fully funds the state’s Community Care Program and increases critical funding for home-delivered meals. These programs serve over 100,000 Illinois seniors keeping them at home and preventing premature nursing home placement. 

OLDER DRIVERS 

Rights of Older Drivers:  After fielding calls from frustrated older adults across the state for years, AARP Illinois is thrilled that HB1226, which passed this session, increases the mandatory age that Illinois drivers must take a behind-the-wheel driving test from 79 to 87. Illinois is currently the only state in the nation that mandates driving tests based on age. This proposal is a strong step in the right direction in ending a practice AARP has long opposed. Research shows that age alone is not a reliable predictor of driving safety, in fact, older drivers have been shown to be the safest drivers in Illinois. The right to drive should be based on functional ability and not age.

PROTECTING RESIDENTS FROM FRAUDS AND SCAMS: 

Recognizing the growing threat that scams and fraud bring to older adults, AARP Illinois pushed for the passage of new consumer protections for users of digital asset kiosks, otherwise known as crypto-currency ATMs. This provides much-needed fraud protections for people who use the 1600 digital currency kiosks in Illinois. SB 2319 offers a comprehensive framework that calls for common sense rules including transaction limits and registration requirements, among other protections.

NURSING HOMES/LONG-TERM CAREAARP Illinois successfully stopped new funding from going to nursing homes that would have failed to improve quality care. The industry had pressed for $70 million in new funding but could not offer evidence that any of it was to be used to improve resident well-being. By raising their voices to oppose this increase, AARP members and volunteers protected taxpayer dollars and stood up for vulnerable residents who deserve better.

FINANCIAL SECURITY:
Property Tax Relief: AARP Illinois is encouraged by the one-year property tax sale moratorium. This delay means home equity will, during that time period, not be entirely lost while homeowners find a solution to catching up on their property taxes and as advocates continue the fight toward a long-term solution. We also remain hopeful that the Illinois House will pass much-needed property tax relief for older adults. HB3790, a bi-partisan bill which passed the Senate unanimously, would have progressively increased the minimum eligible income from $65K to $79K for the Low-Income Senior Citizens’ Assessment Freeze over a period of three years.