Public Act 098-0796
 
HB5412 EnrolledLRB098 19365 RPM 54518 b

    AN ACT concerning public health.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Community Health Worker Advisory Board Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Board" means the Community Health Worker Advisory Board.
    "Community health worker" means a frontline public health
worker who is a trusted member or has an unusually close
understanding of the community served. This trusting
relationship enables the community health worker to serve as a
liaison, link, and intermediary between health and social
services and the community to facilitate access to services and
improve the quality and cultural competence of service
delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and
community capacity by increasing health knowledge and
self-sufficiency through a range of activities, including
outreach, community education, informal counseling, social
support, and advocacy. Nothing in this definition shall be
construed to authorize a community health worker to provide
direct care or treatment to any person or to perform any act or
service for which a license issued by a professional licensing
board is required.
    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
 
    Section 10. Advisory Board.
    (a) There is created the Advisory Board on Community Health
Workers. The Board shall consist of 15 members appointed by the
Director of Public Health. The Director shall make the
appointments to the Board within 90 days after the effective
date of this Act. The members of the Board shall represent
different racial and ethnic backgrounds and have the
qualifications as follows:
        (1) four members who currently serve as community
    health workers in Cook County, one of whom shall have
    served as a health insurance marketplace navigator;
        (2) two members who currently serve as community health
    workers in DuPage, Kane, Lake, or Will County;
        (3) one member who currently serves as a community
    health worker in Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin,
    Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Randolph, St. Clair, or
    Washington County;
        (4) one member who currently serves as a community
    health worker in any other county in the State;
        (5) one member who is a physician licensed to practice
    medicine in Illinois;
        (6) one member who is a licensed nurse or advanced
    practice nurse;
        (7) one member who is a licensed social worker,
    counselor, or psychologist;
        (8) one member who currently employs community health
    workers;
        (9) one member who is a health policy advisor with
    experience in health workforce policy;
        (10) one member who is a public health professional
    with experience with community health policy; and
        (11) one representative of a community college,
    university, or educational institution that provides
    training to community health workers.
    (b) In addition, the following persons or their designees
shall serve as ex officio, non-voting members of the Board: the
Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board, the
Director of Children and Family Services, the Director of
Aging, the Director of Public Health, the Director of
Employment Security, the Director of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, the Secretary of Financial and Professional
Regulation, the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, and
the Secretary of Human Services.
    (c) The voting members of the Board shall select a
chairperson from the voting members of the Board. The Board
shall consult with additional experts as needed. Members of the
Board shall serve without compensation. The Department shall
provide administrative and staff support to the Board. The
meetings of the Board are subject to the provisions of the Open
Meetings Act.
    (d) The Board shall consider the core competencies of a
community health worker, including skills and areas of
knowledge that are essential to bringing about expanded health
and wellness in diverse communities and reducing health
disparities. As relating to members of communities and health
teams, the core competencies for effective community health
workers may include, but are not limited to:
        (1) outreach methods and strategies;
        (2) client and community assessment;
        (3) effective community-based and participatory
    methods, including research;
        (4) culturally competent communication and care;
        (5) health education for behavior change;
        (6) support, advocacy, and health system navigation
    for clients;
        (7) application of public health concepts and
    approaches;
        (8) individual and community capacity building and
    mobilization; and
        (9) writing, oral, technical, and communication
    skills.
 
    Section 15. Report.
    (a) The Board shall develop a report with its
recommendations regarding the certification process of
community health workers. The report shall be completed no
later than 12 months after the first meeting of the Board. The
report shall be submitted to all members and ex officio members
of the Board, the Governor, the President of the Senate, the
Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives. The Department shall publish the report on its
Internet website.
    (b) The report shall at a minimum include the following:
        (1) a summary of research regarding the best practices,
    curriculum, and training programs for designing a
    certification program in this State for community health
    workers, including a consideration of a multi-tiered
    education or training system, statewide certification,
    non-certification degree-based levels of certification,
    and the requirements for experience-based certification;
        (2) recommendations regarding certification and a
    renewal process for community health workers, and a system
    of approval and accreditation for curriculum and training;
        (3) recommendations for a proposed curriculum for
    community health workers that ensures the content,
    methodology, development, and delivery of any proposed
    program is appropriately based on cultural, geographic,
    and other specialty needs and also reflects relevant
    responsibilities for community health workers; and
        (4) recommendations for best practices for
    reimbursement options and pathways through which secure
    funding for community health workers may be obtained.
    (c) The Board shall advise the Department, the Governor,
and the General Assembly on all matters that impact the
effective work of community health workers.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.