Healthcare (Primary Care)

Appropriates the amount of $900,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for a grant to the Link and Option Center, Inc., for the purpose of operating a mobile health clinic in south suburban Cook County. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Act. Establishes a limited and targeted expansion mechanism to admit certain federally certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics into the Illinois Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid Demonstration program. Provides that the Illinois CCBHC prospective payment system methodology, as specified, shall be used to reimburse providers under the program. Prohibits the general expansion of the Illinois Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid Demonstration program beyond providers meeting the established eligibility criteria. Grants the Department of Healthcare and Family Services rulemaking authority, so long as the rules do not impose additional eligibility requirements beyond those expressly stated. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Provides that "community health center" means a migrant health center, community health center, health care program for the homeless or for residents of public housing supported under the federal Public Health Service Act, or FQHC, including an FQHC Look-Alike, as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that operates at least one federally designated primary health care delivery site in Illinois. Provides that "physician" means a person licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 to practice medicine in all of its branches and does not include a chiropractic physician. In provisions concerning acts constituting the practice of dental hygiene, provides that a public health dental hygienist may not administer local anesthesia except as provided in the amendatory provisions. Provides that a dental hygienist practicing in a community health center may administer local anesthetics upon the successful completion of a training program approved by the Department and under the general supervision of a dentist as long as the community health center: (i) has adopted written policies and procedures establishing supervision by a dentist or physician at the time the local anesthetics are administered, and (ii) ensures that a dentist or physician is physically present in the clinic at the time the local anesthetics are administered.

Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Provides that "community health center" means a migrant health center, community health center, health care program for the homeless or for residents of public housing supported under the federal Public Health Service Act, or FQHC, including an FQHC Look-Alike, as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that operates at least one federally designated primary health care delivery site in Illinois. Provides that "physician" means a person licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 to practice medicine in all of its branches and does not include a chiropractic physician. In provisions concerning acts constituting the practice of dental hygiene, provides that a public health dental hygienist may not administer local anesthesia except as provided in the amendatory provisions. Provides that a dental hygienist practicing in a community health center may administer local anesthetics upon the successful completion of a training program approved by the Department and under the general supervision of a dentist as long as the community health center: (i) has adopted written policies and procedures establishing supervision by a dentist or physician at the time the local anesthetics are administered, and (ii) ensures that a dentist or physician is physically present in the clinic at the time the local anesthetics are administered.

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Reproductive Liberty and Justice Act. Amends the Equity and Representation in Health Care Act. Expands the definition of "medical facility" to include a reproductive health center established at a nonprofit community health center. Makes other changes. Amends the Birth Center Licensing Act. Makes changes to the definition of "birth center". Provides that a birth center and any licensed provider of abortion and birth control services on site may be colocated at the same facility. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules for licensing and designating colocated facilities to provide specified essential reproductive health care services. Contains other provisions. Amends the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act. Provides that a licensed certified professional midwife may provide out-of-hospital care to a childbearing individual who has had a previous cesarean section, if authorized by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Removes language prohibiting a licensed certified professional midwife from (1) performing an abortion or (2) knowingly accepting responsibility for prenatal or intrapartum care of a client with alcohol abuse or drug addiction. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Removes from the definition of "neglected child" any child who is a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance. Makes corresponding changes to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, the Adoption Act, and the Vital Records Act. Contains provisions concerning CAPTA notifications and prohibited disclosures regarding the results of a toxicology test administered on a newborn or a pregnant person. Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Contains provisions concerning Plans of Safe Care. Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that a patient has the right for a physician and other health care service providers to administer specified medical tests without disclosing the results of the test to a law enforcement agency or to the Department of Children and Family Services. Amends the Illinois Health and Hazardous Substances Registry Act. Makes changes to the definition of "adverse pregnancy outcome". Contains provisions concerning certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth. Makes other changes.

Amends the Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Act. Changes the definition of "designated shortage area" to mean an area designated as a medically underserved area or a health professional shortage area (rather than a physician shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a critical health manpower shortage area). Changes the term "eligible medical student" to "eligible student", and includes in the definition of that term a person who is studying optometry in an optometry college or institution located in Illinois and that a person may agree to practice full-time in a designated shortage area as an optometrist or anesthesiologist one year for each year he or she is a scholarship recipient. Includes a rural health center, a federally qualified health center, a federally qualified health center look alike, and an optometric office in the definition of "medical facility". Includes an optometrist in the definition of "eligible health care provider". Includes an obstetrician or gynecologist in the definition of "primary care physician". Includes loan repayment recipients in a provision regarding scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill specified obligations, and provides that the amounts paid by these scholarship or loan repayment recipients shall be deposited into the fund where the payment originated from (rather than the Community Health Center Care Fund). Repeals a different provision defining "primary care physician". Effective January 1, 2026.

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 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 Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. In provisions concerning written collaborative agreements, removes a provision prohibiting a prescribing psychologist from prescribing medications to patients who are less than 17 years of age or over 65 years of age. Provides that no prescriptive authority for any Schedule II opioid shall be delegated. Provides that after the collaborating physician files a notice delegating authority to prescribe any nonnarcotic, nonopioid Schedule II through V controlled substances (rather than any nonnarcotic Schedule III through V controlled substances), the licensed clinical psychologist shall be eligible to register for a mid-level practitioner controlled substance license under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Defines "opioid". Makes corresponding changes in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall provide coverage and reimbursement for prescription management services provided by prescribing psychologists for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance under the Article. Effective immediately.

Amends the Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Act. Changes the definition of "designated shortage area" to mean an area designated as a medically underserved area or a health professional shortage area (rather than a physician shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a critical health manpower shortage area). Changes the term "eligible medical student" to "eligible student", and includes in the definition of that term a person who is studying optometry in an optometry college or institution located in Illinois and that a person may agree to practice full-time in a designated shortage area as an optometrist or anesthesiologist one year for each year he or she is a scholarship recipient. Includes a rural health center, a federally qualified health center, a federally qualified health center look alike, and an optometric office in the definition of "medical facility". Includes an optometrist in the definition of "eligible health care provider". Includes an obstetrician or gynecologist in the definition of "primary care physician". Includes loan repayment recipients in a provision regarding scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill specified obligations, and provides that the amounts paid by these scholarship or loan repayment recipients shall be deposited into the fund where the payment originated from (rather than the Community Health Center Care Fund). Repeals a different provision defining "primary care physician". Effective January 1, 2026.