Rep. Robyn Gabel

Filed: 4/7/2011

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1665

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1665 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Home
5Birth Safe Transport Act.
 
6    Section 5. Purpose. The General Assembly finds that due to
7an extreme shortage of licensed home birth providers, a
8significant percentage of Illinois home birth families engage
9the services of unregulated, underground, community midwives
10to attend their planned home births. It further finds that some
11families and community midwives may hesitate to transport to
12the hospital in an emergency for fear of being reported to
13Child Protective Services, the Department of Professional and
14Financial Regulation, or local law enforcement agents. It
15further finds that the recent Publication #476 of the American
16College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasizes the

 

 

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1importance of providing home birth families with "an integrated
2and regulated health system" which ensures "a plan for safe and
3quick transportation to a nearby hospital in the event of an
4emergency". It is hereby declared that fear of legal
5repercussions may negatively affect the health, safety, and
6welfare of hundreds of Illinois mothers annually who choose to
7give birth at home as well as the health, safety, and welfare
8of their infants. The purpose of this Act is to allow community
9midwives to transport mother, baby, or both to a hospital in an
10emergency situation and to professionally communicate medical
11information to the emergency transport team and receiving
12hospital personnel without fear of legal repercussions,
13thereby removing all hesitations to transport in a situation
14where the health and welfare of mother or baby requires it.
15This Act shall be liberally construed to best carry out these
16purposes
 
17    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
18    "Community midwife" means any midwife serving the home
19birth community in Illinois who is not licensed as an Advanced
20Practice Nurse under the Nurse Practice Act.
21    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
22    "Emergency" means a medical condition of recent onset and
23severity that would lead a prudent layperson, possessing an
24average knowledge of medicine and health, to believe that
25urgent or unscheduled medical care is required.

 

 

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1    "Emergency medical facility" means a freestanding
2emergency center or trauma center, as defined in the Emergency
3Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.
4    "Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System" means an
5organization of hospitals, vehicle service providers, and
6personnel approved by the Department in a specific geographic
7area, which coordinates and provides pre-hospital and
8inter-hospital emergency care and non-emergency medical
9transports at a BLS, ILS, or ALS level or any combination of
10these pursuant to a System program plan submitted to and
11approved by the Department, and pursuant to the EMS Region Plan
12adopted for the EMS Region in which the System is located.
13    "Patient" means the mother or unborn or newborn infant
14receiving or planning to receive home birth services from a
15community midwife.
16    "Medical professional" includes licensed physicians,
17nurses, advance practice nurses, nursing and physician
18assistants, and any medical technician or medical specialist,
19EMS transport team member or any other individual who has
20medical or related training.
21    "Hospital" has the meaning ascribed to that term in the
22Hospital Licensing Act.
23    "Transport" means the act of bringing a patient to a
24hospital or emergency medical facility or calling for Emergency
25Medical Services to bring the patient to the facility.
26"Transport" includes the professional communication of

 

 

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1pertinent medical information to the receiving facility
2personnel
 
3    Section 15. Immunity for parents.
4    (a) The act of carrying out or attempting to carry out a
5home birth with a community midwife does not, by itself,
6constitute a basis for a finding of abuse or neglect of a new
7born or unborn infant nor a violation of Section 12-21.6 of the
8Criminal Code of 1961.
9    (b) Neither a child protective investigation nor a criminal
10investigation may be initiated solely because of a planned home
11birth or because of the engagement of an unlicensed community
12midwife.
 
13    Section 20. Immunity for transporting community midwife.
14Provided that the community midwife provides medical
15information regarding the mother or infant or both to the
16recipient emergency medical personnel, the act of a community
17midwife transporting a mother or infant or both to a hospital,
18fire station, or emergency medical facility in accordance with
19this Act does not, by itself, constitute a basis for a finding
20of abuse or neglect of the patient, nor practicing medicine or
21nursing or advance practice nursing without a license, pursuant
22to the laws of this State, nor does it, by itself, constitute a
23violation of Section 12-21.6 of the Criminal Code of 1961.
 

 

 

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1    Section 25. Immunity of facility and personnel. An EMS
2transport team, a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical
3facility, and any personnel of a hospital, fire station, or
4emergency medical facility, are immune from criminal or civil
5liability for acting in good faith in accordance with this Act.
 
6    Section 30. Anonymity of transporting community midwife.
7The transporting community midwife has the right to remain
8anonymous and to leave the hospital, fire station, or emergency
9medical facility at any time and not be pursued or followed.
 
10    Section 35. Use of information.
11    (a) No medical professional or fire department personnel
12may communicate identifying information gathered during or
13after an emergency home birth transport about the transporting
14community midwife or parents of the infant to law enforcement
15agents or the Department of Financial and Professional
16Regulation, Department of Children and Family Services, or any
17other department or agency solely for the fact of the parents
18and community midwife attempting or carrying out a home birth.
19    (b) Under no circumstances may an agent or employee of the
20Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or the
21Department of Children and Family Services or any other
22department or agency accept or use any evidence submitted to
23them about home birth families or unlicensed home birth
24community midwives related to an emergency home birth transport

 

 

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1for the purpose of investigation or prosecution of parents or
2community midwife if there is no other complaint than the fact
3of a home birth or attempted home birth with a community
4midwife.
 
5    Section 900. The Medical Practice Act of 1987 is amended by
6changing Section 4 as follows:
 
7    (225 ILCS 60/4)  (from Ch. 111, par. 4400-4)
8    (Section scheduled to be repealed on November 30, 2011)
9    Sec. 4. Exemptions.
10    (a) This Act does not apply to the following:
11        (1) persons lawfully carrying on their particular
12    profession or business under any valid existing regulatory
13    Act of this State;
14        (2) persons rendering gratuitous services in cases of
15    emergency;
16        (3) persons treating human ailments by prayer or
17    spiritual means as an exercise or enjoyment of religious
18    freedom; or
19        (4) persons practicing the specified occupations set
20    forth in in subsection (a) of, and pursuant to a licensing
21    exemption granted in subsection (b) or (d) of, Section
22    2105-350 of the Department of Professional Regulation Law
23    of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, but only for
24    so long as the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games

 

 

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1    Professional Licensure Exemption Law is operable; or .
2        (5) community midwives engaged in the transport and
3    transfer of care of home birth mothers or infants in a case
4    of emergency.
5    (b) (Blank).
6(Source: P.A. 96-7, eff. 4-3-09.)
 
7    Section 910. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing
8Section 50-15 as follows:
 
9    (225 ILCS 65/50-15)   (was 225 ILCS 65/5-15)
10    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2018)
11    Sec. 50-15. Policy; application of Act.
12    (a) For the protection of life and the promotion of health,
13and the prevention of illness and communicable diseases, any
14person practicing or offering to practice advanced,
15professional, or practical nursing in Illinois shall submit
16evidence that he or she is qualified to practice, and shall be
17licensed as provided under this Act. No person shall practice
18or offer to practice advanced, professional, or practical
19nursing in Illinois or use any title, sign, card or device to
20indicate that such a person is practicing professional or
21practical nursing unless such person has been licensed under
22the provisions of this Act.
23    (b) This Act does not prohibit the following:
24        (1) The practice of nursing in Federal employment in

 

 

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1    the discharge of the employee's duties by a person who is
2    employed by the United States government or any bureau,
3    division or agency thereof and is a legally qualified and
4    licensed nurse of another state or territory and not in
5    conflict with Sections 50-50, 55-10, 60-10, and 70-5 of
6    this Act.
7        (2) Nursing that is included in the program of study by
8    students enrolled in programs of nursing or in current
9    nurse practice update courses approved by the Department.
10        (3) The furnishing of nursing assistance in an
11    emergency.
12        (4) The practice of nursing by a nurse who holds an
13    active license in another state when providing services to
14    patients in Illinois during a bonafide emergency or in
15    immediate preparation for or during interstate transit.
16        (5) The incidental care of the sick by members of the
17    family, domestic servants or housekeepers, or care of the
18    sick where treatment is by prayer or spiritual means.
19        (6) Persons from being employed as unlicensed
20    assistive personnel in private homes, long term care
21    facilities, nurseries, hospitals or other institutions.
22        (7) The practice of practical nursing by one who is a
23    licensed practical nurse under the laws of another U.S.
24    jurisdiction and has applied in writing to the Department,
25    in form and substance satisfactory to the Department, for a
26    license as a licensed practical nurse and who is qualified

 

 

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1    to receive such license under this Act, until (i) the
2    expiration of 6 months after the filing of such written
3    application, (ii) the withdrawal of such application, or
4    (iii) the denial of such application by the Department.
5        (8) The practice of advanced practice nursing by one
6    who is an advanced practice nurse under the laws of another
7    state, territory of the United States, or country and has
8    applied in writing to the Department, in form and substance
9    satisfactory to the Department, for a license as an
10    advanced practice nurse and who is qualified to receive
11    such license under this Act, until (i) the expiration of 6
12    months after the filing of such written application, (ii)
13    the withdrawal of such application, or (iii) the denial of
14    such application by the Department.
15        (9) The practice of professional nursing by one who is
16    a registered professional nurse under the laws of another
17    state, territory of the United States or country and has
18    applied in writing to the Department, in form and substance
19    satisfactory to the Department, for a license as a
20    registered professional nurse and who is qualified to
21    receive such license under Section 55-10, until (1) the
22    expiration of 6 months after the filing of such written
23    application, (2) the withdrawal of such application, or (3)
24    the denial of such application by the Department.
25        (10) The practice of professional nursing that is
26    included in a program of study by one who is a registered

 

 

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1    professional nurse under the laws of another state or
2    territory of the United States or foreign country,
3    territory or province and who is enrolled in a graduate
4    nursing education program or a program for the completion
5    of a baccalaureate nursing degree in this State, which
6    includes clinical supervision by faculty as determined by
7    the educational institution offering the program and the
8    health care organization where the practice of nursing
9    occurs.
10        (10.5) Community midwives engaged in the transport and
11    transfer of care of home birth mothers or infants in a case
12    of emergency.
13        (11) Any person licensed in this State under any other
14    Act from engaging in the practice for which she or he is
15    licensed.
16        (12) Delegation to authorized direct care staff
17    trained under Section 15.4 of the Mental Health and
18    Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act consistent
19    with the policies of the Department.
20        (13) The practice, services, or activities of persons
21    practicing the specified occupations set forth in
22    subsection (a) of, and pursuant to a licensing exemption
23    granted in subsection (b) or (d) of, Section 2105-350 of
24    the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil
25    Administrative Code of Illinois, but only for so long as
26    the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games Professional

 

 

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1    Licensure Exemption Law is operable.
2        (14) County correctional personnel from delivering
3    prepackaged medication for self-administration to an
4    individual detainee in a correctional facility.
5    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the
6delegation of tasks or duties by a physician, dentist, or
7podiatrist to a licensed practical nurse, a registered
8professional nurse, or other persons.
9(Source: P.A. 95-639, eff. 10-5-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08; 96-7,
10eff. 4-3-09; 96-516, eff. 8-14-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)
 
11    Section 915. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
12changing Section 2-3 as follows:
 
13    (705 ILCS 405/2-3)  (from Ch. 37, par. 802-3)
14    Sec. 2-3. Neglected or abused minor.
15    (1) Those who are neglected include:
16        (a) any minor under 18 years of age who is not
17    receiving the proper or necessary support, education as
18    required by law, or medical or other remedial care
19    recognized under State law as necessary for a minor's
20    well-being, or other care necessary for his or her
21    well-being, including adequate food, clothing and shelter,
22    or who is abandoned by his or her parent or parents or
23    other person or persons responsible for the minor's
24    welfare, except that a minor shall not be considered

 

 

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1    neglected for the sole reason that the minor's parent or
2    parents or other person or persons responsible for the
3    minor's welfare have left the minor in the care of an adult
4    relative for any period of time, who the parent or parents
5    or other person responsible for the minor's welfare know is
6    both a mentally capable adult relative and physically
7    capable adult relative, as defined by this Act; or
8        (b) any minor under 18 years of age whose environment
9    is injurious to his or her welfare; or
10        (c) any newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium
11    contains any amount of a controlled substance as defined in
12    subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled
13    Substances Act, as now or hereafter amended, or a
14    metabolite of a controlled substance, with the exception of
15    controlled substances or metabolites of such substances,
16    the presence of which in the newborn infant is the result
17    of medical treatment administered to the mother or the
18    newborn infant; or
19        (d) any minor under the age of 14 years whose parent or
20    other person responsible for the minor's welfare leaves the
21    minor without supervision for an unreasonable period of
22    time without regard for the mental or physical health,
23    safety, or welfare of that minor; or
24        (e) any minor who has been provided with interim crisis
25    intervention services under Section 3-5 of this Act and
26    whose parent, guardian, or custodian refuses to permit the

 

 

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1    minor to return home unless the minor is an immediate
2    physical danger to himself, herself, or others living in
3    the home.
4    Whether the minor was left without regard for the mental or
5physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor or the period
6of time was unreasonable shall be determined by considering the
7following factors, including but not limited to:
8        (1) the age of the minor;
9        (2) the number of minors left at the location;
10        (3) special needs of the minor, including whether the
11    minor is physically or mentally handicapped, or otherwise
12    in need of ongoing prescribed medical treatment such as
13    periodic doses of insulin or other medications;
14        (4) the duration of time in which the minor was left
15    without supervision;
16        (5) the condition and location of the place where the
17    minor was left without supervision;
18        (6) the time of day or night when the minor was left
19    without supervision;
20        (7) the weather conditions, including whether the
21    minor was left in a location with adequate protection from
22    the natural elements such as adequate heat or light;
23        (8) the location of the parent or guardian at the time
24    the minor was left without supervision, the physical
25    distance the minor was from the parent or guardian at the
26    time the minor was without supervision;

 

 

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1        (9) whether the minor's movement was restricted, or the
2    minor was otherwise locked within a room or other
3    structure;
4        (10) whether the minor was given a phone number of a
5    person or location to call in the event of an emergency and
6    whether the minor was capable of making an emergency call;
7        (11) whether there was food and other provision left
8    for the minor;
9        (12) whether any of the conduct is attributable to
10    economic hardship or illness and the parent, guardian or
11    other person having physical custody or control of the
12    child made a good faith effort to provide for the health
13    and safety of the minor;
14        (13) the age and physical and mental capabilities of
15    the person or persons who provided supervision for the
16    minor;
17        (14) whether the minor was left under the supervision
18    of another person;
19        (15) any other factor that would endanger the health
20    and safety of that particular minor.
21    A minor shall not be considered neglected for the sole
22reason that the minor has been relinquished in accordance with
23the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.
24    A minor shall not be considered neglected for the sole
25reason that the minor is a patient in the care of a community
26midwife who is engaged in the transport and transfer of care of

 

 

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1the minor to a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical
2facility in an emergency situation occurring during the course
3of a home birth, in accordance with the Home Birth Safe
4Transport Act.
5    (2) Those who are abused include any minor under 18 years
6of age whose parent or immediate family member, or any person
7responsible for the minor's welfare, or any person who is in
8the same family or household as the minor, or any individual
9residing in the same home as the minor, or a paramour of the
10minor's parent:
11        (i) inflicts, causes to be inflicted, or allows to be
12    inflicted upon such minor physical injury, by other than
13    accidental means, which causes death, disfigurement,
14    impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or
15    impairment of any bodily function;
16        (ii) creates a substantial risk of physical injury to
17    such minor by other than accidental means which would be
18    likely to cause death, disfigurement, impairment of
19    emotional health, or loss or impairment of any bodily
20    function;
21        (iii) commits or allows to be committed any sex offense
22    against such minor, as such sex offenses are defined in the
23    Criminal Code of 1961, as amended, or in the Wrongs to
24    Children Act, and extending those definitions of sex
25    offenses to include minors under 18 years of age;
26        (iv) commits or allows to be committed an act or acts

 

 

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1    of torture upon such minor;
2        (v) inflicts excessive corporal punishment;
3        (vi) commits or allows to be committed the offense of
4    involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a
5    minor, or trafficking in persons for forced labor or
6    services defined in Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of
7    1961, upon such minor; or
8        (vii) allows, encourages or requires a minor to commit
9    any act of prostitution, as defined in the Criminal Code of
10    1961, and extending those definitions to include minors
11    under 18 years of age.
12    A minor shall not be considered abused for the sole reason
13that the minor has been relinquished in accordance with the
14Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.
15    A minor shall not be considered abused for the sole reason
16that the minor is a patient in the care of a community midwife
17who is engaged in the transport and transfer of care of the
18minor to a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical
19facility in an emergency situation occurring during the course
20of a home birth, in accordance with the Home Birth Safe
21Transport Act.
22    (3) This Section does not apply to a minor who would be
23included herein solely for the purpose of qualifying for
24financial assistance for himself, his parents, guardian or
25custodian.
26(Source: P.A. 95-443, eff. 1-1-08; 96-168, eff. 8-10-09;

 

 

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196-1464, eff. 8-20-10.)
 
2    Section 920. The Criminal Code of 1961 is amended by
3changing Section 12-21.6 as follows:
 
4    (720 ILCS 5/12-21.6)
5    Sec. 12-21.6. Endangering the life or health of a child.
6    (a) It is unlawful for any person to willfully cause or
7permit the life or health of a child under the age of 18 to be
8endangered or to willfully cause or permit a child to be placed
9in circumstances that endanger the child's life or health,
10except that it is not unlawful for a person to relinquish a
11child in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant
12Protection Act or for a community midwife to transport or
13transfer the care of the newborn infant of a home birth mother
14to an emergency medical center, fire station, or hospital
15during a medical emergency in accordance with the Home Birth
16Safe Transport Act.
17    (b) There is a rebuttable presumption that a person
18committed the offense if he or she left a child 6 years of age
19or younger unattended in a motor vehicle for more than 10
20minutes.
21    (c) "Unattended" means either: (i) not accompanied by a
22person 14 years of age or older; or (ii) if accompanied by a
23person 14 years of age or older, out of sight of that person.
24    (d) A violation of this Section is a Class A misdemeanor. A

 

 

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1second or subsequent violation of this Section is a Class 3
2felony. A violation of this Section that is a proximate cause
3of the death of the child is a Class 3 felony for which a
4person, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall be
5sentenced to a term of not less than 2 years and not more than
610 years.
7(Source: P.A. 92-408, eff. 8-17-01; 92-432, eff. 8-17-01;
892-515, eff. 6-1-02; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)".