Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB1564

Amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. Makes changes in the Section concerning findings and policy. Defines "access to care and information protocols" and "material information". Provides that notwithstanding any other law, a health care facility, or any physician or health care personnel working in the facility, may refuse to permit, perform, assist in, counsel about, suggest, recommend, refer for, or participate in health care services because of a conscience-based objection only if the refusal occurs in accordance with written access to care and information protocols designed to ensure that (1) the patient receives material information in a timely fashion; and (2) the refusal will not impair the patient's health by causing delay of or inability to access the refused health care service. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to prevent a health care facility from requiring that physicians or health care personnel working in the facility comply with access to care and information protocols. Makes other changes in Sections concerning: (i) discrimination by employers or institutions; and (ii) liability.

Makes a change in the Section concerning findings and policy. Provides that the amendatory provisions are applicable notwithstanding other provisions of the Health Care Right of Conscience Act or any other law (rather than "notwithstanding any other law").

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as introduced, but with the following changes: In a provision defining terms: (i) removes the terms "access to care and information protocols" and "material information" and their corresponding definitions; and (ii) defines "undue delay" as unreasonable delay that causes impairment of the patient's health. Makes changes to a provision concerning the duty of physicians and other health care personnel. Removes a provision concerning the duty to enact and comply with access to care and information protocols and instead provides that all health care facilities shall adopt written access to care and information protocols that are designed to ensure that conscience-based objections do not cause impairment of patients' health and that explain how conscience-based objections will be addressed in a timely manner to facilitate patient health care services. Provides that certain protections under the Act only apply if conscience-based refusals occur in accordance with these protocols. Provides that the protocols must, at a minimum, address certain matters. Removes changes made to a provision concerning discrimination by employers or institutions. Adds a January 1, 2016 effective date.

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