Healthcare (Hospitals)

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that the Act does not prohibit the practice of relevant nursing care by a legally responsible caregiver or a person designated by a legally responsible caregiver who has been certified as a certified family health aide for the specified services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Establishes requirements for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to apply for a Home and Community-Based Services State Plan amendment and federal waiver amendment necessary to reimburse a legally responsible caregiver or a person designated by a legally responsible caregiver who has achieved certification as a certified family health aide to perform the specified services. Creates the Certified Family Health Aide Program for Children and Adults Act. Establishes certification requirements for a certified family health aide through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that a certified family health aides must be legally responsible caregiver and 18 years or older, have a relationship with a specified family member, and be certified to perform or assist in performing the specified nursing services. Amends the Home Health, Home Services, Home Nursing Act to include a certified family health aide under a home nursing agency and provides training and recordkeeping requirements for home nursing agencies. Amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act and the Hospital Licensing Act to require similar training and recordkeeping requirements in children's community-based health care center and in hospitals managing the care of an individual being discharged under the care of a home nursing agency.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to create an add-on payment for safety-net hospitals with a Level 1 Trauma designation, equal to at least $35,000,000 per hospital, per year.

Amends the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act. Removes a provision which provides that, in ambulatory surgical treatment centers, anesthesia service shall be under the direction of a physician who has had specialized preparation or experience in the area or who has completed a residency in anesthesiology. Specifies that, with respect to anesthesia service in an ambulatory surgical treatment center, a certified registered nurse anesthetist shall seek consultation regarding development of an anesthesia plan and treatment of patients as is appropriate to the certified registered nurse anesthetist's level of expertise and scope of practice and as is warranted by the needs of the patient. Removes a requirement that an anesthesiologist participate through discussion of and agreement with the anesthesia plan and remain physically present and be available on the premises. Provides that a certified registered nurse anesthetist with clinical privileges may perform acts of advanced assessment and diagnosis and may provide such functions for which the certified registered nurse anesthetist is educationally and experientially prepared. Makes conforming changes to the Hospital Licensing Act. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that a written collaborative agreement shall be adequate with respect to collaboration with certified registered nurse anesthetists if all of the following apply: (1) the agreement is written to promote the exercise of professional judgment by the certified registered nurse anesthetist commensurate with his or her education and experience; (2) the certified registered nurse anesthetist provides service based on a written collaborative agreement with the collaborating physician; and (3) methods of communication are available with the collaborating physician in person or through telecommunications for consultation, collaboration, and referral as needed to address patient care needs. Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that an Illinois-licensed advanced practice registered nurse certified as a certified registered nurse anesthetist shall be deemed by law to possess the ability to practice without a written collaborative agreement. Sets forth requirements for a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Makes conforming changes in the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Effective immediately.

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 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).

Creates the Holistic Overdose Prevention and Equity Act. Creates the Harm Reduction Program Board, with certain requirements. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall issue grants to harm reduction providers, with certain requirements. Establishes a Chief Harm Reduction Officer within the Department. Provides for a place-based approach to harm reduction pilot program. Provides for local government training and continuing education. Provides that naloxone shall be made readily available to all staff and individuals in prisons and jails, with certain requirements. Provides for medication for opioid use disorder and fentanyl testing. Restricts the use of abstinence-only or sobriety requirements to housing, with certain requirements. Limits home rule powers. Makes findings. Defines terms. Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Counties Code, the County Jail Act, the Unified Code of Corrections, the Hospital Licensing Act, and the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. Provides that a physician assistant may prescribe, dispense, order, administer, and procure drugs and medical devices without delegation of authority by a physician. Provides that a physician assistant may practice without a written collaborative agreement. Provides that a physician assistant who files with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation a notarized attestation of completion of at least 250 hours of continuing education or training and at least 2,000 hours of clinical experience after first attaining national certification shall not require a written collaborative agreement to practice. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions; physician assistant title; collaboration requirements; written collaborative agreements, prescriptive authority, and physician assistants in hospitals, hospital affiliates, or ambulatory surgical treatment centers; inactive status; limitations; and grounds for disciplinary action. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to make corresponding changes.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that the Act does not prohibit the practice of relevant nursing care by a legally responsible caregiver or a person designated by a legally responsible caregiver who has been certified as a certified family health aide for the specified services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Establishes requirements for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to apply for a Home and Community-Based Services State Plan amendment and federal waiver amendment necessary to reimburse a legally responsible caregiver or a person designated by a legally responsible caregiver who has achieved certification as a certified family health aide to perform the specified services. Creates the Certified Family Health Aide Program for Children and Adults Act. Establishes certification requirements for a certified family health aide through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that a certified family health aides must be legally responsible caregiver and 18 years or older, have a relationship with a specified family member, and be certified to perform or assist in performing the specified nursing services. Amends the Home Health, Home Services, Home Nursing Act to include a certified family health aide under a home nursing agency and provides training and recordkeeping requirements for home nursing agencies. Amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act and the Hospital Licensing Act to require similar training and recordkeeping requirements in children's community-based health care center and in hospitals managing the care of an individual being discharged under the care of a home nursing agency.

Creates the Hospitals and Homelessness Support Act. Requires the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness within the Department of Human Services to maintain on its publicly accessible website information on how a hospital or healthcare system may connect a patient experiencing homelessness or otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation with shelter and homeless support services for each continuum of care in the State. Requires the Department to ensure that the information required includes, for each continuum of care, any phone number, email address, physical address, primary agencies, or any other information that may be necessary for a person in that continuum of care territory to begin accessing shelter or other homelessness services. Requires the Department to include, where possible, a specific phone number that a hospital or health care facility may call and specific language to use. Requires the Department to also include on its website a way for the hospital or healthcare system to determine which continuum of care applies based on the physical location of the hospital or healthcare system. Requires other information, all of which must be added to the Department's website by October 31, 2025. Contains provisions concerning annual audits.

Amends the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. Provides that a physician assistant may prescribe, dispense, order, administer, and procure drugs and medical devices without delegation of authority by a physician. Provides that a physician assistant may practice without a written collaborative agreement. Provides that a physician assistant who files with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation a notarized attestation of completion of at least 250 hours of continuing education or training and at least 2,000 hours of clinical experience after first attaining national certification shall not require a written collaborative agreement to practice. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions; physician assistant title; collaboration requirements; written collaborative agreements, prescriptive authority, and physician assistants in hospitals, hospital affiliates, or ambulatory surgical treatment centers; inactive status; limitations; and grounds for disciplinary action. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to make corresponding changes.