Healthcare

Declares April 10, 2025 as Vaccine Awareness Day in the State of Illinois to educate the public about the importance of vaccinations, initiate meaningful dialogue around vaccinations, and encourage the uptake of vaccines. Urges the Illinois Department of Health to continue to promote to healthcare providers and the people of this state that vaccinations are a highly effective and safe public health measure and increase public awareness about the importance of all Illinois residents receiving recommended immunizations, and to promote outreach and education efforts concerning vaccinations. Urges the Illinois Department of Health to continue to prioritize immunization initiatives, develop policies, and invest in immunization infrastructure to ensure broad and open access to immunizations to safeguard public health and protect the well-being of Illinois residents.

Urges the State to increase reimbursement rates, state grants and contracts, and the minimum overhead allowance to meet the rising costs of providing essential human services in Illinois and supporting the workers who deliver those services.

Expresses opposition to the Trump healthcare cuts, which fundamentally undermine the basic dignity and financial security of working families across the country. Calls upon the United States Senate to immediately table the Trump healthcare cuts bill and instead pursue reforms such as the Illinois' Healthcare Protection Act to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable.

Urges the federal government to allocate more funding toward finding a cure for Lyme disease. Encourages the Illinois State Board of Education to begin health education to prevent tick bites for children who represent the highest risk group for tick-borne diseases. Declares the month of May 2025 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.

Amends the Telehealth Act. Adds acupuncturist to providers included in the meaning of "health care professional". Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that the standard of care for a patient under the Act shall be the same whether a patient is seen in person, through telemedicine, or through another method of electronically-enabled health care. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, by rule, to determine the appropriate acupuncture services allowed via telemedicine in consultation with the Board of Acupuncture. Provides that a person who engages in the practice of telemedicine without a license issued under the Act shall be subject to the penalties provided in the Act. Provides that, if the Department has reason to believe that a person has violated the provisions regarding telemedicine, the Department may issue a rule to show cause stating the reasons why an order to cease and desist should not be entered against the person. Provides that the rule shall clearly set forth the grounds relied upon by the Department and shall provide the person with a period of 7 days after the date of the rule to file an answer to the satisfaction of the Department. Provides that failure to answer to the satisfaction of the Department shall cause an order to cease and desist to be issued immediately. Provides that a person residing out-of-state that provides services through telemedicine to a patient residing in the State submits himself or herself to the jurisdiction of the Department and the courts of the State.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that certain provisions related to probationary separation, term appointments, and veterans hospital visits are subject to Jurisdiction B. Changes references to veterans hospital visits to references to veterans medical appointments. Provides that an employee who is also a veteran shall be permitted 4 days per year to receive medical care authorized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, at any type of health care provider or health care facility (rather than permitted 4 days per year to visit a veterans hospital or clinic), for examination or treatment (rather than for examination) of a military service-connected condition (rather than service-connected disability).

Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that appropriate mobile response services must, among other things, subject to the care decisions of the individual receiving care, coordinate transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency to the least restrictive setting feasible (rather than provide transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency). Provides that adequate mobile mental health relief provider training includes, among other things, training in recognizing and working with people with neurodivergent and developmental disability diagnoses and in the techniques available to help stabilize and connect them to further services and training in the involuntary commitment process, in identification of situations that meet the standards for involuntary commitment, and in cultural competencies and social biases to guard against any group being disproportionately subjected to the involuntary commitment process or the use of the process not warranted under the legal standard for involuntary commitment. Provides that mobile mental health relief providers may only participate in the involuntary commitment process to the extent permitted under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Requires the system for gathering information developed by the Statewide Advisory Committee to determine the number of instances of mobile mental health relief providers initiating petitions for involuntary commitment. Provides that the exemption from civil liability for emergency care provided in the Good Samaritan Act applies to anyone providing care under the Act. Provides that each 9-1-1 public safety answering point and emergency service dispatched through a 9-1-1 public safety answering point must begin coordinating its activities with the mobile mental and behavioral health services established by the Division of Mental Health once all 3 of the following conditions are met, but not later than July 1, 2027 (rather than July 1, 2025). Adds definitions and modifies existing definitions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Rural Hospital Task Force Act. Establishes the Rural Hospital Task Force within the Department of Public Health for the purpose of investigating the current state of rural hospitals and providing recommendations to prevent further closures of rural hospitals and to potentially expand rural hospital services. Provides that the Task Force shall convene to conduct business on at least 4 separate days. Requires the Department of Public Health to provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Requires each agency and entity represented on the Task Force to share with the Task Force any data of the agency or entity necessary to achieve the purpose of the Task Force. Provides that all findings and recommendations made by the Task Force must be reported to the General Assembly before January 1, 2027. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved, and the Act is repealed, on January 1, 2027

Amends the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services, in coordination with a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals, to establish and offer a voluntary training that will be recorded and made available on the Department's website to all hospital social workers, clinicians, and administrative staff to inform them of BEACON, a centralized resource for Illinois youth and families seeking services for behavioral health needs, with the goal of encouraging families to seek assistance through BEACON and the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Team. Provides that the training shall include how families and hospital staff can access BEACON, the process once a case is entered into BEACON, and State and community programs accessible through BEACON. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires a psychiatric hospital to contact a youth or the youth's parents, guardian, or caregiver about the BEACON portal (rather than the Family Support Program and the Specialized Family Support Program) prior to referring the youth to the Department of Children and Family Services because the youth was left at the psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity. Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor and relevant stakeholders, to report its work and make available resource materials, including model policies and guidance informed by a phased approach to implementing universal mental health screening in schools. Requires the State Board of Education to report its work by September 1, 2026. Provides that mental health screenings shall be offered by school districts to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12, at least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.

Amends the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. Provides that, if the injured employee subsequently dies, the employer shall continue to pay the entire health insurance premium for the surviving spouse (rather than the surviving spouse until remarried) and for the dependent children under specified conditions.