State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0725

      745 ILCS 70/1             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5301
      745 ILCS 70/2             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5302
      745 ILCS 70/3             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5303
      745 ILCS 70/4             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5304
      745 ILCS 70/5             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5305
      745 ILCS 70/6             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5306
      745 ILCS 70/7             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5307
      745 ILCS 70/8             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5308
      745 ILCS 70/9             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5309
      745 ILCS 70/10            from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5310
      745 ILCS 70/11            from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5311
      745 ILCS 70/11.2 new
      745 ILCS 70/11.3 new
      745 ILCS 70/11.4 new
      745 ILCS 70/12            from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5312
      745 ILCS 70/13            from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5313
      745 ILCS 70/14            from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5314
          Amends the Right of Conscience Act.   Changes  the  short
      title  of the Act to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
      Changes defined terms "medical  care",  "medical  personnel",
      and   "medical  facility"  to  "health  care",  "health  care
      personnel", and  "health  care  facility",  respectively  and
      makes  other  changes  in  definitions,  including changes in
      definition of "physician".  Adds definition of  "health  care
      payer";  provides  that a health care payer is not civilly or
      criminally liable by reason of a refusal to  pay  or  arrange
      for  payment  of  any particular form of health care services
      that violate the payer's  conscience  as  documented  in  its
      ethical  guidelines  or other governing documents.  Prohibits
      discrimination against a health  care  payer  in  matters  of
      licensing and other privileges and prohibits denial of grants
      or  benefits  to  a  health  care  payer for similar reasons.
      Makes other changes.
                                                     LRB9001282DJcd
                                               LRB9001282DJcd
 1        AN ACT to amend the Right of Conscience Act  by  changing
 2    and adding certain Sections.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The Right of Conscience  Act  is  amended  by
 6    changing  Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
 7    and 14 and adding Sections 11.2, 11.3, and 11.4 as follows:
 8        (745 ILCS 70/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5301)
 9        Sec. 1.  Short title.  This Act shall be known and may be
10    cited as the Health Care "Right of Conscience Act".
11    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
12        (745 ILCS 70/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5302)
13        Sec. 2.  Findings and policy.  The General Assembly finds
14    and declares that people  and  organizations  hold  different
15    beliefs  about  whether  certain  health  care  services  are
16    morally  acceptable.  It is the public policy of the State of
17    Illinois to respect and protect the right  of  conscience  of
18    all  persons  who refuse to obtain, receive or accept, or who
19    are engaged in, the delivery of, arrangement for, or  payment
20    of  health  care  medical  services  and medical care whether
21    acting individually,  corporately,  or  in  association  with
22    other  persons;  and to prohibit all forms of discrimination,
23    disqualification,  coercion,  disability  or  imposition   of
24    liability  upon  such  persons or entities by reason of their
25    refusing to act contrary to their conscience or conscientious
26    convictions  in  refusing  to  obtain,  receive,  accept,  or
27    deliver, pay for, or arrange for the payment of  health  care
28    medical services and medical care.
29    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
                            -2-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1        (745 ILCS 70/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5303)
 2        Sec.  3.   Definitions.   As used in this Act, unless the
 3    context clearly otherwise requires:
 4        (a)  "Health Medical care" means  any  phase  of  patient
 5    care,  including  but  not  limited  to,  testing; diagnosis;
 6    prognosis; ancillary research; instructions; family planning,
 7    counselling, referrals, or any  other  advice  in  connection
 8    with   the   use   or   procurement   of  contraceptives  and
 9    sterilization or abortion procedures; medication; or  surgery
10    or  other  care  or  treatment  rendered  by  a  physician or
11    physicians, nurses, paraprofessionals or health care  medical
12    facility,  intended  for  the physical, emotional, and mental
13    well-being of persons;
14        (b)  "Physician" means any  person  who  is  entitled  to
15    provide  medical  services  or medical care or is licensed by
16    the State of Illinois under the Medical Practice Act of  1987
17    to  practice medicine in all its branches, whether as intern,
18    resident, medical trainee, or fully licensed practitioner  of
19    medicine;
20        (c)  "Health  care  Medical  personnel"  means any nurse,
21    nurses'  aide  aid,  medical  school   student,   pharmacist,
22    professional,   paraprofessional  or  any  other  person  who
23    furnishes, or assists  in  the  furnishing  of,  health  care
24    medical care services;
25        (d)  "Health  care  Medical facility" means any public or
26    private hospital, clinic,  center,  medical  school,  medical
27    training  institution,  laboratory  or diagnostic health care
28    facility,   physician's   office,   infirmary,    dispensary,
29    ambulatory  surgical treatment center or other institution or
30    location wherein health care services  are  medical  care  is
31    provided to any person, including physician organizations and
32    associations,   networks,   joint  ventures,  and  all  other
33    combinations of those organizations; and
34        (e)  "Conscience" means a sincerely  held  set  of  moral
                            -3-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    convictions  arising  from  belief in and relation to God, or
 2    which, though not so derived, arises obtains from a place  in
 3    the  life  of  its  possessor  parallel to that filled by God
 4    among adherents to religious faiths; and.
 5        (f)  "Health  care  payer"  means  a  health  maintenance
 6    organization,   insurance   company,   management    services
 7    organization,  or  any other entity that pays for or arranges
 8    for the payment of any health care or medical  care  service,
 9    procedure, or product.
10        The  above  definitions  include not only the traditional
11    combinations and forms of these persons and organizations but
12    also all new and emerging forms  and  combinations  of  these
13    persons and organizations.
14    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
15        (745 ILCS 70/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5304)
16        Sec.  4.  Liability.  No physician or health care medical
17    personnel shall  be  civilly  or  criminally  liable  to  any
18    person,  estate,  public or private entity or public official
19    by reason of his or her refusal to perform, assist,  counsel,
20    suggest,  recommend,  refer  or participate in any way in any
21    particular form of  health  medical  care  service  which  is
22    contrary  to  the conscience of such physician or health care
23    medical personnel.
24    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
25        (745 ILCS 70/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5305)
26        Sec. 5.  Discrimination.  It shall be  unlawful  for  any
27    person,  public or private institution, or public official to
28    discriminate against any person in any manner, including  but
29    not limited to, licensing, hiring, promotion, transfer, staff
30    appointment,  hospital,  managed  care  entity,  or any other
31    privileges, because of such person's conscientious refusal to
32    receive, obtain, accept, perform, assist,  counsel,  suggest,
                            -4-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    recommend,  refer or participate in any way in any particular
 2    form of health care services medical care contrary to his  or
 3    her conscience.
 4    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
 5        (745 ILCS 70/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5306)
 6        Sec.  6.   Duty  of  physicians  and  other  health  care
 7    personnel.   Nothing  in  this  Act shall relieve a physician
 8    from any duty, which may  exist  under  any  laws  concerning
 9    current   standards,   of   normal   medical   practices  and
10    procedures, to inform his or her  patient  of  the  patient's
11    condition,  prognosis and risks, provided, however, that such
12    physician shall be under no duty to perform, assist, counsel,
13    suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any  way  in  any
14    form  of medical practice or health medical care service that
15    is contrary to his or her conscience.
16        Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to relieve a
17    physician  or  other  health  care  medical  personnel   from
18    obligations  under  the  law  of  providing emergency medical
19    care.
20    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
21        (745 ILCS 70/7) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5307)
22        Sec. 7.  Discrimination by employers or institutions.  It
23    shall be unlawful for any public or private employer, entity,
24    agency, institution, official or person,  including  but  not
25    limited  to,  a  medical,  nursing  or other medical training
26    institution, to deny  admission  because  of,  to  place  any
27    reference  in  its  application  form  concerning,  to orally
28    question about, to impose any burdens in terms or  conditions
29    of  employment  on, or to otherwise discriminate against, any
30    applicant,  in  terms  of   employment,   admission   to   or
31    participation  in  any  programs  for  which the applicant is
32    eligible, or to discriminate  in  relation  thereto,  in  any
                            -5-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    other  manner,  on  account  of  the  applicant's  refusal to
 2    receive,   obtain,   accept,   perform,   counsel,   suggest,
 3    recommend, refer, assist or participate in  any  way  in  any
 4    forms  of health medical care services contrary to his or her
 5    conscience.
 6    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
 7        (745 ILCS 70/8) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5308)
 8        Sec. 8.  Denial of aid or benefits.  It shall be unlawful
 9    for any public official,  guardian,  agency,  institution  or
10    entity to deny any form of aid, assistance or benefits, or to
11    condition  the  reception  in  any  way  of  any form of aid,
12    assistance or benefits, or in any  other  manner  to  coerce,
13    disqualify  or  discriminate  against  any  person, otherwise
14    entitled to such aid, assistance or  benefits,  because  that
15    person  refuses  to obtain, receive, accept, perform, assist,
16    counsel, suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any  way
17    in  any  form of health medical care services contrary to his
18    or her conscience.
19    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
20        (745 ILCS 70/9) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5309)
21        Sec.  9.   Liability.    No   person,   association,   or
22    corporation,  which  owns, operates, supervises, or manages a
23    health care medical facility shall be civilly  or  criminally
24    liable  to any person, estate, or public or private entity by
25    reason of refusal of the health care such medical facility to
26    permit or provide any particular form of health medical  care
27    service   which   violates   the   facility's  conscience  as
28    documented in  its  ethical  guidelines,  mission  statement,
29    constitution,   by-laws,   articles   of   incorporation,  or
30    regulations, or other governing documents.
31        Nothing in this act shall be construed so as to relieve a
32    physician  or  other  health  care  medical  personnel   from
                            -6-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    obligations  under  the  law  of  providing emergency medical
 2    care.
 3    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
 4        (745 ILCS 70/10) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5310)
 5        Sec. 10.  Discrimination against facility.  It  shall  be
 6    unlawful  for  any  person,  public or private institution or
 7    public  official  to   discriminate   against   any   person,
 8    association  or  corporation  attempting  to  establish a new
 9    health care medical facility or operating an existing  health
10    care  medical  facility,  in  any  manner,  including but not
11    limited  to,  denial,  deprivation  or  disqualification   in
12    licensing,  granting  of  authorizations,  aids,  assistance,
13    benefits, medical staff or any other privileges, and granting
14    authorization  to  expand, improve, or create any health care
15    medical facility, by reason of the refusal  of  such  person,
16    association or corporation planning, proposing or operating a
17    health  care  medical  facility,  to  permit  or  perform any
18    particular form of health medical care service which violates
19    health  care  facility's  conscience  as  documented  in  its
20    existing or proposed ethical guidelines,  mission  statement,
21    constitution,   by-laws,   articles   of   incorporation,  or
22    regulations, or other governing documents.
23    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
24        (745 ILCS 70/11) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5311)
25        Sec. 11.  Denial of aid or benefit  to  a  facility.   It
26    shall   be   unlawful   for   any  public  official,  agency,
27    institution or entity to deny any form  of  aid,  assistance,
28    grants  or  benefits;  or  in  any  other  manner  to coerce,
29    disqualify or discriminate against any person, association or
30    corporation attempting to establish a new health care medical
31    facility  or  operating  an  existing  health  care   medical
32    facility  which  otherwise  would  be  entitled  to  the aid,
                            -7-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    assistance, grant or benefit because the existing or proposed
 2    health care medical  facility  refuses  to  perform,  assist,
 3    counsel,  suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any way
 4    in any form of health medical care services contrary  to  the
 5    health  care  facility's  conscience  as  documented  in  its
 6    existing  or  proposed ethical guidelines, mission statement,
 7    constitution,  by-laws,   articles   of   incorporation,   or
 8    regulations, or other governing documents.
 9    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
10        (745 ILCS 70/11.2 new)
11        Sec.  11.2.  Liability  of  health care payer.  No health
12    care payer and no person, association,  or  corporation  that
13    owns,  operates,  supervises,  or manages a health care payer
14    shall be civilly or criminally liable to any person,  estate,
15    or  public  or  private  entity  by  reason of refusal of the
16    health care payer to pay for or arrange for  the  payment  of
17    any  particular form of health care services that violate the
18    health care payer's conscience as documented in  its  ethical
19    guidelines,   mission   statement,   constitution,   by-laws,
20    articles  of  incorporation,  regulations, or other governing
21    documents.
22        (745 ILCS 70/11.3 new)
23        Sec. 11.3.  Discrimination against health care  payer  in
24    licensing.   It  shall  be unlawful for any person, public or
25    private  institution,  or  public  official  to  discriminate
26    against  any  person,   association,   or   corporation   (i)
27    attempting  to  establish  a  new  health  care payer or (ii)
28    operating an existing  health  care  payer,  in  any  manner,
29    including   but  not  limited  to,  denial,  deprivation,  or
30    disqualification in licensing;  granting  of  authorizations,
31    aids,  assistance,  benefits,  or  any  other privileges; and
32    granting authorization to  expand,  improve,  or  create  any
                            -8-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    health  care  payer,  because  the  person,  association,  or
 2    corporation  planning,  proposing, or operating a health care
 3    payer refuses to pay for or arrange for the  payment  of  any
 4    particular  form  of  health  care services that violates the
 5    health care payer's conscience as documented in the  existing
 6    or    proposed   ethical   guidelines,   mission   statement,
 7    constitution, by-laws, articles of incorporation, regulations
 8    or other governing documents.
 9        (745 ILCS 70/11.4 new)
10        Sec. 11.4.  Denial of aid  or  benefits  to  health  care
11    payer  for refusal to participate in certain health care.  It
12    shall  be  unlawful  for   any   public   official,   agency,
13    institution,  or  entity to deny any form of aid, assistance,
14    grants, or benefits;  or  in  any  other  manner  to  coerce,
15    disqualify,  or discriminate against any person, association,
16    or corporation attempting to  establish  a  new  health  care
17    payer  or  operating  an  existing  health  care  payer  that
18    otherwise would be entitled to the aid, assistance, grant, or
19    benefit  because  the  existing or proposed health care payer
20    refuses  to  pay  for,  arrange  for  the  payment   of,   or
21    participate  in  any  way in any form of health care services
22    contrary to the health care payer's conscience as  documented
23    in  its  existing  or  proposed  ethical  guidelines, mission
24    statement, constitution, by-laws, articles of  incorporation,
25    regulations, or other governing documents.
26        (745 ILCS 70/12) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5312)
27        Sec.  12.   Actions;  damages.   Any person, association,
28    corporation, entity or health care medical  facility  injured
29    by  any public or private person, association, agency, entity
30    or corporation by reason of any  action  prohibited  by  this
31    Act,  as  now  or  hereafter  amended,  may  commence  a suit
32    therefor, and shall recover  threefold  the  actual  damages,
                            -9-                LRB9001282DJcd
 1    including  pain  and  suffering,  sustained  by  such person,
 2    association,  corporation,  entity  or  health  care  medical
 3    facility, the costs of the  suit  and  reasonable  attorney's
 4    fees;  but  in no case shall recovery be less than $2,500 for
 5    each  violation  in  addition  to  costs  of  the  suit   and
 6    reasonable  attorney's  fees.  These damage remedies shall be
 7    cumulative, and not  exclusive  of  other  remedies  afforded
 8    under any other state or federal law.
 9    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
10        (745 ILCS 70/13) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5313)
11        Sec. 13.  Liability for refusal to provide certain health
12    care.  Nothing in this Act shall be construed as excusing any
13    person,  public  or  private  institution, or public official
14    from liability for refusal to permit or provide a  particular
15    form of health medical care service if:
16        (a)  the  person, public or private institution or public
17    official has entered into a contract specifically to  provide
18    that particular form of health medical care service; or
19        (b)  the  person, public or private institution or public
20    official has accepted federal or state  funds  for  the  sole
21    purpose  of, and specifically conditioned upon, permitting or
22    providing  that  particular  form  of  health  medical   care
23    service.
24    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)
25        (745 ILCS 70/14) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5314)
26        Sec.   14.    Supersedes  other  Acts.   This  Act  shall
27    supersede all other Acts or parts of Acts to the extent  that
28    any  such  prior  Acts or parts of Acts are inconsistent with
29    the terms or operation of this Act.
30    (Source: P.A. 80-616.)

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