Illinois just handed DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin two more wins in his yearslong push to protect seniors, people with disabilities, and abused animals. Governor JB Pritzker signed Public Act 104-0644 and Public Act 104-0671 into law, closing legal gaps that prosecutors say let some caregivers dodge accountability and left shelters stuck holding seized pets for too long. Both measures take effect January 1, 2027.
According to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, Berlin and State Representative Marti Deuter announced that the two initiatives were part of Berlin’s 2026 legislative package. Public Act 104-0671 amends part of the Criminal Code of 2012 to broaden the legal definition of caregiver, while Public Act 104-0644 amends the Humane Care for Animals Act to refine the procedures governing how companion animals get forfeited before trial. Both bills passed the General Assembly in May 2026, and Senate Bill 2892, which enacted Public Act 104-0644, cleared the Illinois House by a 112-0 vote on May 21, 2026, before Pritzker signed it on July 24, according to LegiScan.
Closing the Caregiver Loophole
Public Act 104-0671 spells out exactly who counts as a caregiver under Illinois law, a definition prosecutors say is needed to stop informal or voluntary caregivers from evading criminal abuse and neglect charges. Under the new law, a caregiver includes anyone who voluntarily takes on responsibility by knowingly providing ongoing primary and substantial assistance, as well as anyone who has reason to believe, based on an elderly or disabled person’s actions, statements, or behavior, that they are relied upon for that kind of physical-care assistance.
The law defines two ways a caregiver commits criminal abuse or neglect: failing to perform acts they know or reasonably should know are necessary to maintain or preserve life or health when that failure creates a substantial likelihood of harm, or knowingly performing acts that create a substantial likelihood of endangering life, injuring health, or worsening a pre-existing physical or mental condition. Violations are classified as Class A misdemeanors, per the Illinois General Assembly…