SB2644 EnrolledLRB103 34708 JDS 64555 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Secretary of State Act is amended by adding
5Section 34 as follows:
 
6    (15 ILCS 305/34 new)
7    Sec. 34. Advance Directive Registry.
8    (a) By January 1, 2027, the Secretary of State shall
9establish an electronic registry, to be known as the Advance
10Directive Registry, through which residents of the State of
11Illinois may deposit, with the Secretary of State, a completed
12Department of Public Health Uniform Practitioner Order for
13Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. In calendar year 2026,
14the Secretary of State shall, in good faith, promote the
15Advance Directive Registry throughout the State by
16disseminating information about the Advance Directive Registry
17in the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of State.
18    (b) Information in the Advance Directive Registry shall be
19made available electronically to Emergency Medical Services
20personnel as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
21Systems Act, administrators of hospitals licensed under the
22Hospital Licensing Act, and administrators of hospitals
23organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act.

 

 

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1Hospital administrators shall, as appropriate for their
2respective hospital, provide access to information in the
3Advance Directive Registry to hospital health care providers
4and health care professionals. Persons may rely on information
5obtained from the Advance Directive Registry as an accurate
6copy of the documents filed with the Advance Directive
7Registry.
8    (c) Nothing in this Section shall limit the right to amend
9or revoke a Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form
10previously filed with the Advance Directive Registry.
11    (d) The Secretary of State shall adopt any rules necessary
12to implement this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
13Assembly, and the Secretary of State shall also provide on the
14Secretary of State's website information regarding use of the
15Advance Directive Registry.
16    (e) In the absence of gross negligence or willful
17misconduct, the Secretary of State and employees of the
18Secretary of State are immune from any civil or criminal
19liability in connection with the creation and maintenance of
20the Advance Directive Registry described in this Section.
21    (f) A person who knowingly submits a document to the
22Advance Directive Registry without authorization or assists in
23such submission shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
24    (g) Nothing in this Section requires a health care
25professional or health care provider, including Emergency
26Medical Services personnel as defined in the Emergency Medical

 

 

SB2644 Enrolled- 3 -LRB103 34708 JDS 64555 b

1Services (EMS) Systems Act, a hospital licensed under the
2Hospital Licensing Act, and a hospital organized under the
3University of Illinois Hospital Act, to (i) inquire whether a
4patient has a Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form
5registered on the Advance Directive Registry or (ii) access or
6search the Advance Directive Registry to determine whether a
7patient has registered a Department of Public Health Uniform
8POLST form or the terms of the form.
9    (h) A health care professional or health care provider,
10including Emergency Medical Services personnel as defined in
11the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, a hospital
12licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act, and a hospital
13organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act, is
14not subject to civil or criminal liability or professional
15discipline for failure to access or search the Advance
16Directive Registry. Notwithstanding any other provision of
17this Section, a health care professional or health care
18provider who relies in good faith on the provisions of a
19Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form retrieved from
20the Advance Directive Registry is immune from criminal and
21civil liability as described in subsection (d) of Section 65
22of the Health Care Surrogate Act and Section 3.150 of the
23Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.