IL SB2022

Creates the Safe Patient Limits Act establishing mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios in Illinois healthcare facilities, including 1:1 for critical care/ICU patients, 1:3 for emergency department basic services, 1:4 for medical/surgical and psychiatric patients, and 1:3 for pediatric and telemetry patients

Prohibits facilities from using video monitors, remote patient monitoring, or electronic visualization as substitutes for direct in-person observation by registered nurses, and bars hospitals from mandating that nurses delegate nursing interventions

Requires facilities to maintain staffing records on a shift-by-shift basis, submit quarterly documentation to the Department of Public Health, and retain records for 7 years with certification by the chief nursing officer under penalty of perjury

Authorizes civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation, with mandatory $25,000 penalties for facilities with a pattern of violations, and protects nurses from retaliation for refusing assignments they believe violate staffing limits or patient safety

Amends the Nurse Practice Act to require that nursing judgment by direct care registered nurses be exercised exclusively in patients' interests, not for the business or commercial interests of the employer