March 25, 2022, Legislative Report
LEGISLATURE APPROACHING HOME STRETCH
The Illinois General Assembly has less than three weeks of the legislative session left as the scheduled April 8 adjournment is fast approaching. Barring late emerging issues that prove controversial, or sticking points in the adoption of a Fiscal Year 2023 state budget, a timely adjournment seems likely.
Working steadily, lawmakers have been on pace to consider the bills that are on the calendars in the respective legislative chambers. In this pivotal election year, they have been reticent to try to advance any especially controversial bills. Most of the bills that have been considered thus far have been negotiated to remove opposition and, therefore, have moved easily through the process. Anticipated contentious proposals regarding ethics matters and a new “crime bill”, have been slow in materializing and, at this point, may not be placed on the legislative agenda.
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Another annual hot topic, the state budget, may also advance without too much difficulty. Leaders of the majority party in both the House of Representatives and Senate have indicated that they are comfortable with a budget as outlined by Governor JB Pritzker in his annual Budget Address. If this holds true, and with more than enough votes to approve such legislation without votes from the minority party, passage of the next year’s spending plan could be fairly easily attained.
As always, late legislative snags or newly emerging issues could interrupt this smooth progression. Three weeks is an eternity in “legislative time”.
SIGNIFICANT PIECES OF LEGISLATION
SB 670 (Glowiak Hilton, D-Oakbrook Terrace) amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law to require that the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation process an application for a license within four weeks after receiving a complete application that contains no deficiencies. The bill glided through the Senate earlier this spring and was approved on a 54-0 vote. However, the bill has seemed to stall in the House as it has yet to be posted for a committee hearing.
SB 4016 (Jones, D-Chicago) extends the repeal date of the Naprapathic Practice Act to January 1, 2028 from January 1, 2023 and revises certain definitions in the act and the scope of practice. ICS was successful in having the bill amended to address concerns regarding scope of practice issues. The bill was approved by the Senate and is awaiting a vote for final passage on the House floor.
HB 4665 (Mah, D-Chicago) extends the repeal date of the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act from January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2028. It revises certain definitions in the act and the scope of practice. The bill was amended in the Senate to address the concerns of ICS and will bring greater parity among licensees under the Medical Practice Act and ensure physician equality. The bill was approved by the House and is pending a floor vote in the Senate. Upon Senate passage, it will have to go back to the House for concurrence in the Senate amendment.
HB 4645 (Greenwood, D-East St. Louis) creates the Equity and Representation in Health Care Act which includes the Health Care Workforce Repayment Program and the Equity and Representation in Health Care Workforce Scholarship Program. The program provides that a health care professional may apply for student loan repayment assistance under certain conditions, including practicing in an underserved community. ICS was successful in adding chiropractic physicians as those eligible to apply for the loan repayment.
ANOTHER ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN SIGNS ONTO H.R. 2654
Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL 12) has signed onto H.R. 2654 as a co-sponsor. He joins five others from the Illinois Congressional delegation as a co-sponsor: Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL 1), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL 9), Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL 11), Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL 7), and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL 1).
H.R. 2654 is the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act that would allow Medicare beneficiaries access to the chiropractic profession’s broad-based, non-drug approach to pain management. The bill will provide patient access to all Medicare-covered benefits allowable under a chiropractor’s state licensure.
ICS continues to encourage its members to contact their representative in congress and ask to sign on as a co-sponsor. There are currently over 125 members of congress, split evenly between both political parties, who have signed on to the bill.
More information on H.R. 2654, and how to advocate for it, can be found here.
