Illinois Legislature Concludes Fall Veto Session
The Illinois General Assembly convened for the Fall Veto Session October 14-16 and 28-30. Lawmakers adjourned the session in the early morning hours on October 31, finally finishing their business at 4:30 a.m.
Most of the agenda revolved around federal issues that have recently affected Illinois, including: federal budget cuts that resulted in state revenue losses for Medicaid, Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage, and SNAP benefits; immigration rights; and law enforcement protocols relating to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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There were bills approved that were healthcare-related, but these will not likely have a direct impact on the practices of chiropractic physicians. These include pharmacy rules, vaccination access, and the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. A bill that made changes to the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act will affect all employers, including chiropractic physicians.
Bills Approved That Will Be Sent to the Governor
SB 2339 (Cervantes, D-Berwyn) makes changes to the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act regarding employee immigration status. The bill states that if an employer receives notification from the federal government (i.e. Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service) regarding a discrepancy in an employee’s taxpayer identification number, the employer:
- Cannot take adverse action against the employee because of the notification of discrepancy
- Must give the notification to the employee – in person if possible – within five days
- Allow the employee to have a representative of his or her choosing in any meetings, discussions, or proceedings with the employer
The bill provides a cause of action for civil penalties for violations of the act.
SB 1950 (Holmes, D-Aurora) creates the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. The bill authorizes a qualified patient with a terminal disease to request that a physician prescribe aid-in-dying medication that will allow the patient to end the patient’s life in a peaceful manner.
HB 767 (Morgan, D-Highwood) seeks to codify Illinois’ recent executive orders to strengthen access to vaccines. The legislation will expand the authority of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)’s Immunization Advisory Committee to empower the Department to issue state-specific vaccine guidelines, independent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines.
HB 1312 (Welch, D-Westchester) would require all hospitals to develop policies governing law enforcement interactions and how they would respond to the presence of federal immigration agents. It would require hospitals to notify patients of law enforcement presence in the hospital and allow patients to delete from their records their place of birth and citizenship status. The bill would also create the Illinois Bivens Act to allow individuals to sue any person who violates their constitutional rights during civil immigration enforcement activities.
Schedule
The legislature has no more scheduled session days through the end of the year. It will return to session in January for the second year of this 104th General Assembly and work through the end of May.
