HB4596 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4596

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Rep. Dave Vella

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
105 ILCS 5/27-215
815 ILCS 505/2Z	from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 262Z

Creates the Combating Health Misinformation Act. Establishes the Health Misinformation Response Unit within the Department of Public Health to monitor and counter health misinformation. Requires the Department to offer public health literacy grants. Requires the Department of Public Health to recruit and train trusted messengers to assist in communicating accurate health information. Requires certain entities that distribute or communicate health-related information in the State to disclose funding sources, as well as to provide citations for alleged facts. Allows the Department of Public Health to request that information from those entities. Provides that specified entities that knowingly violate certain provisions of the Act commit an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Defines terms. Amends the School Code to require health literacy to be taught as part of a comprehensive health education program, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health. Makes conforming changes to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning 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 Combating Health Misinformation Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Department" means the Department of Public Health.

"Director" means the Director of Public Health.

"Unit" means the Health Misinformation Response Unit created in Section 10.

Section 10. Health Misinformation Response Unit.

(a) There is created within the Department a new unit named the Health Misinformation Response Unit. The Director shall appoint a Unit Head who shall, in coordination with the Director or the Director's designee, hire or reassign employees as necessary to effectuate the responsibilities of the Unit.

(b) The Unit shall be responsible for monitoring health misinformation trends on social media, community forums, and other web and news sources, and recording all trends noticed. The Unit shall periodically issue public health advisories to counter misinformation so identified with facts.

(c) The Unit shall also initiate and develop relationships with universities to research the impacts of health misinformation and to develop effective countermeasures.

Section 15. Public health literacy grants.

(a) The Department shall offer financial assistance grants to community-based organizations, elementary or high schools, or libraries, to implement health literacy programs to teach residents how to evaluate medical claims, how to spot medical misinformation, and how to access trusted care.

(b) The Department may fund these grants through funds appropriated to the Department but not allocated to a specific purpose or through funds specifically appropriated to fund public health literacy grants.

(c) The Department shall adopt rules as necessary to create and maintain in accordance with the requirements of this Section a grant application process for public health literacy grants.

Section 20. Trusted messenger network.

(a) The Department shall recruit and train local health professionals and local community leaders to serve as trusted messengers to assist in communicating accurate health information to their communities.

(b) The Department shall, no less than once per quarter, send trusted messengers information on current public health issues, information countering specific trends of health misinformation, or any other information the Department finds important for public health.

(c) The Department shall also identify for trusted health messengers an email address and phone number that may be used by the trusted messengers to contact the Department with questions or requests for assistance.

(d) If the Director finds that a particular trusted messenger is no longer assisting with communicating information to the public in a satisfactory manner, the Director may cease to send information as required by subsections (b) and (c) of this Section, so long as the Director provides the trusted messenger with an explanation of the decision, in writing or by email, first.

(e) The Department shall offer quarterly training that is accessible virtually, that must be attended by all trusted messengers, and that will include information on current health misinformation trends and how to counter them and the importance of providing accurate health information. All trusted health messengers must attend each training.

(f) Trusted messengers shall receive no compensation from the Department.

Section 25. Transparency in health claims.

(a) To protect the public health, safety, and general welfare of the people of the State of Illinois, any corporation, limited liability company, or registered nonprofit organization that distributes or communicates health-related information in the State of Illinois shall disclose its funding sources and, if the distribution or communication of health-related information claims to present facts, shall provide citations to sources of all health-related information that is distributed or communicated. The disclosure of funding sources required by this subsection may be provided by inclusion in each communication or by a prominently placed Uniform Resource Locator link to a website that details the funding.

(b) The Department is authorized to request from any corporation, limited liability company, or registered nonprofit organization distributing or communicating health-related information in the State the funding sources and citations to any sources of health-related information used. Any corporation, limited liability company, or registered nonprofit receiving a request shall provide the requested information under this subsection within 7 business days of receiving the request.

(c) A corporation, limited liability company, or registered nonprofit organization that knowingly violates any provision in this Section commits an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. All remedies, penalties, and authority granted to the Attorney General by the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act shall be available to the Attorney General for the enforcement of this Section.

Section 30. The School Code is amended by changing Section 27-215 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-215)

Sec. 27-215. Comprehensive health education program.

(a) In this subsection (a):

"Age and developmentally appropriate" means suitable to particular ages or age groups of children or adolescents, based on the developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group.

"Consent" means an affirmative, knowing, conscious, ongoing, and voluntary agreement to engage in interpersonal, physical, or sexual activity, which can be revoked at any point, including during the course of interpersonal, physical, or sexual activity.

The program established under this Act shall include, but not be limited to, the following major educational areas as a basis for curricula in all elementary and secondary schools in this State, with applicable Illinois Learning Standards adopted by the State Board of Education guiding the instruction in the program:

(1) human ecology, health, growth, development, personal health habits, and nutrition, consistent with the Illinois Learning Standards adopted by the State Board of Education;

(2) the emotional, psychological, physiological, hygienic, and social responsibilities of family life, including evidence-based and medically accurate information regarding sexual abstinence;

(3) the prevention and control of disease, including instruction in grades 6 through 12 on the prevention, transmission, and spread of AIDS;

(4) age and developmentally appropriate sexual abuse, consistent with Section 10-23.13 of this Code, abuse during pregnancy, and assault awareness and prevention education in grades prekindergarten through 12;

(5) public health, environmental health, disaster preparedness education, and safety education;

(6) mental health and illness;

(7) dental health;

(8) cancer education that includes the types of cancer, signs and symptoms, risk factors, the importance of early prevention and detection, and information on where to get help and treatment for cancer; and

(9) age and developmentally appropriate consent education; and .

(10) health literacy, including how to fact-check health information found online.

The State Board of Education shall collaborate with the Department of Public Health in establishing guidance for schools in teaching health literacy as required by paragraph (10).

The instruction on mental health and illness must evaluate the multiple dimensions of health by reviewing the relationship between physical and mental health to enhance student understanding, attitudes, and behaviors that promote health, well-being, and human dignity and must include how and where to find mental health resources and specialized treatment in the State. The program shall also provide course material and instruction to advise pupils of the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.

Consent education must be age and developmentally appropriate, and the instruction on age and developmentally appropriate consent shall require only instruction aligning with consent as defined in this Section.

(b) Notwithstanding the educational areas under subsection (a), the following areas may also be included as a basis for curricula in all elementary and secondary schools in this State: basic first aid (including, but not limited to, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver), heart disease, diabetes, stroke, the prevention of child abuse, neglect, and suicide, and teen dating violence in grades 7 through 12.

(c) The State Superintendent of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Children and Family Services, shall prepare and disseminate to all public schools and nonpublic schools information on instructional materials and programs about child sexual abuse, which may be used by such schools for their own or community programs. Such information may also be disseminated by such schools to parents.

(d) No pupil shall be required to take or participate in any class or course on AIDS or family life instruction or to receive training on how to properly administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or how to use an automated external defibrillator if his or her parent or guardian submits written objection thereto, and refusal to take or participate in the course or program or the training shall not be reason for suspension or expulsion of the pupil.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

Section 35. The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act is amended by changing Section 2Z as follows:

(815 ILCS 505/2Z) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 262Z)

Sec. 2Z. Violations of other Acts. Any person who knowingly violates the Automotive Repair Act, the Automotive Collision Repair Act, the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, the Dance Studio Act, the Physical Fitness Services Act, the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act, the Illinois Union Label Act, the Installment Sales Contract Act, the Job Referral and Job Listing Services Consumer Protection Act, the Travel Promotion Consumer Protection Act, the Credit Services Organizations Act, the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act, the Pay-Per-Call Services Consumer Protection Act, the Telephone Solicitations Act, the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act, the Cemetery Oversight Act, the Cemetery Care Act, the Safe and Hygienic Bed Act, the Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales Act, the High Risk Home Loan Act, the Payday Loan Reform Act, the Predatory Loan Prevention Act, the Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act, subsection (a) or (b) of Section 3-10 of the Cigarette Tax Act, subsection (a) or (b) of Section 3-10 of the Cigarette Use Tax Act, the Electronic Mail Act, the Internet Caller Identification Act, paragraph (6) of subsection (k) of Section 6-305 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, Section 11-1431, 18d-115, 18d-120, 18d-125, 18d-135, 18d-150, or 18d-153 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, Article 3 of the Residential Real Property Disclosure Act, the Automatic Contract Renewal Act, the Reverse Mortgage Act, Section 25 of the Youth Mental Health Protection Act, the Personal Information Protection Act, or the Student Online Personal Protection Act, or Section 25 of the Combating Health Misinformation Act commits an unlawful practice within the meaning of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-315, eff. 8-24-17; 100-416, eff. 1-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-658, eff. 3-23-21.)