SB3887 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3887

Introduced 2/6/2026, by Sen. Adriane Johnson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Screen Illinois Initiative Act. Authorizes the Department of Public Health to establish the Screen Illinois Initiative to increase the number of mobile health screening unit hubs in the State. Provides that the Screen Illinois Initiative funding shall be used to support the operations of the mobile health screening units by covering purchases, maintenance, salaries, and costs under the Act. Establishes requirements regarding the mobile health screening units and the protocols for follow-up care and appointments. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules. Defines terms. Makes other conforming changes.

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 Screen Illinois Initiative Act.

Section 5. Findings and purpose.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) Preventive health screenings are key to spotting diseases early. Some common diseases that screenings can find are chronic conditions, cancer, metabolic issues, and infections. Finding these issues early can reduce illness, death, and long-term healthcare costs through quick, non-invasive tests.

(2) Standardized, evidence-based preventive screening statistics developed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) suggest that Illinois falls short of the recommended adult screening targets:

(A) only 6.3% of adults between 50 and 80 years old are screened for lung and bronchial cancer;

(B) only 66.7% of adults between 45 and 75 years old are screened for colorectal cancer;

(C) only 73.1% of female adults 40 years old and older are screened for breast cancer; and

(D) only 69.1% of female adults between the ages of 21 and 65 years old are screened for cervical cancer.

(3) In addition, significant racial disparities exist in prostate screening, with only 17.3% of 50 to 69-year-old Hispanic males and 29.4% of 50 to 69-year-old African-American males being screened for prostate cancer.

(4) The Department has reported a high percentage of late-stage cancer diagnoses because of potential missed preventive care, such as:

(A) 45.4% of adults 50 years old and older with a lung and bronchus cancer diagnosis;

(B) 24.1% of all adults with a colorectal cancer diagnosis;

(C) 45.6% of all female adults with a breast cancer diagnosis; and

(D) 24.0% of male adults 50 years old and older with a prostate cancer diagnosis.

(5) When cancers are detected at a late stage, treatment options available become more expensive and more difficult. Consequently, cancer mortality rates for the cancers listed below are high compared to the Healthy People 2030 targets:

(A) Lung and bronchus cancer: 41.1 deaths per 100,000 people (HP2030: 25.1),

(B) Colorectal cancer: 14.7 deaths per 100,000 people (HP2030: 8.9),

(C) Breast cancer: 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people (HP2030: 15.3),

(D) Prostate cancer: 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people (HP2030: 16.9).

(6) Residents of rural parts of the State are more likely to be affected by the limited preventive public health screenings due to fewer healthcare professionals, medical centers, emergency facilities, or transportation options to these services.

(7) While the Illinois Department of Public Health operates mobile health screening initiatives, such as Wellness on Wheels (WoW), its funding is grant-based and not stable, relies on a request system for statewide access, has narrow screening panels, and does not have standardized referral and follow-up protocols. Specifically:

(A) Wellness on Wheels funding is variable, having received:

(i) $5,766,350 in FY 2023;

(ii) $695,000 in FY 2024;

(iii) $515,000 in FY 2025; and

(iv) $1,075,000 in FY 2026.

(B) These funds go toward providing variable grants to community organizations, instead of having a stable funding stream. As a result, these organizations are unable to provide consistent statewide screenings to rural communities. The inconsistent annual funding toward Wellness on Wheels also makes it difficult for the initiative to plan its resources, professionals, and services.

(C) Furthermore, Wellness on Wheels mobile health screening units have hubs in just 5 areas:

(i) Joliet;

(ii) Springfield;

(iii) Champaign;

(iv) O'Fallon; and

(v) Grand Chain.

(D) The limited number of locations makes it difficult for mobile health screening units to reach rural areas of the State quickly. These inefficiencies can lead to delays in screening, increasing the risk of cancers or other diseases that go undetected, thus significantly increasing the risk of worsened symptoms and more expensive care.

(E) Wellness on Wheels also predominantly focuses on screening for diseases and conditions, such as:

(i) Human Immunodeficiency Virus;

(ii) Hepatitis C;

(iii) Sexually transmitted infections, such as Gonorrhea and Chlamydia;

(iv) COVID-19;

(v) high blood pressure;

(vi) high glucose levels; and

(vii) high cholesterol.

(F) Wellness on Wheels does not focus on screening for cancer or other common diseases, potentially leaving those conditions undetected for long periods.

(G) While grants given to community organizations through Wellness on Wheels have a stipulation to provide care linkage and, as needed, wrap-around services, the grantees are responsible for managing follow-ups and referrals. Because of this, there is no statewide, standardized organization providing the actual medical services or follow-up referrals leaving it to the local organizations to provide it. This creates inefficiencies and inconsistencies between regions of the State, as different community organizations may vary in the methodology, frequency, or quality of screenings. The creation of a statewide authority to conduct follow-ups and referrals will standardize screenings and improve quality throughout the State.

(H) Thus, the creation of a statewide, standardized mobile health screening framework will improve screening in disadvantaged communities, reduce average mortality, and decrease healthcare costs for underserved and rural constituents.

(b) The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) expand and formalize the Department of Public Health's existing mobile public health screening initiatives, such as Wellness on Wheels, and to create a standardized, statewide program delivering high-quality screening to rural and underserved communities;

(2) establish a stable, sufficient State funding source for the newly created statewide screening program, to improving consistency and service;

(3) standardize the range of diseases supported for screening by mobile health units, including cancer, metabolic, cardiovascular, or vaccine-preventable diseases, thus improving detection speed;

(4) establish statewide, standardized follow-up and referral guidelines to ensure constituents are screened quickly;

(5) expand the geographic range and frequency of mobile public health screening initiatives to reduce the barriers to healthcare such as a lack of transportation; and

(6) record screening data through the Department to inform government policy and future funding for mobile health screening programs.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Fixed-site preventive screening services" means screenings that happen at a consistent location such as at a clinic or hospital.

"Follow-up care" means further diagnostic testing or referral to a healthcare service after an abnormal or positive result.

"Medically underserved urban neighborhoods" means zip codes designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration as being a Primary Health Professional Shortage Area or a Medically Underserved Area/Population.

"Mobile health screening unit" means a group of vehicles operated or contracted by the Department delivering preventive health screenings.

"Preventive health screenings" means an evidence-based clinical test used to detect any disease or conditions before symptoms.

"Underserved community" means a geographic area or population identified by the Department that has limited access to healthcare services due to economic or structural barriers,

Section 15. Program Requirements.

(a) The Department shall build upon existing Wellness on Wheels and the Department's infrastructure to establish the Screen Illinois Initiative and all of its requirements. The Screen Illinois Initiative program shall act as a statewide, proactive mobile health screening initiative.

(b) No later than January 1, 2028, the Department shall increase the number of mobile health screening unit hubs from the current 5 to a number sufficient to ensure every region of the State has access to a mobile health screening unit within one hour's distance, as determined by geographic analysis conducted by the Department.

(1) Through the Screen Illinois Initiative, the Department shall target achieving at least 20,000 annual screenings by January 1, 2028.

(2) Through the Screen Illinois Initiative, the Department shall target achieving a follow-up completion rate by at least 75% by January 1, 2028.

(c) The Department shall prioritize mobile health screening unit deployment through the Screen Illinois Initiative to:

(1) counties and census tracts that are designated as a medically underserved urban neighborhoods or an underserved community;

(2) counties with cancer screening rates lower than the statewide average, as reported in the Department's Illinois Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan; and

(3) counties where residents must travel at least 20 miles to access fixed-site preventive screening services.

(d) The Department shall ensure that each health region has at least 3 mobile health screening unit hubs responsible for:

(1) route planning;

(2) staff coordination;

(3) follow-up and referral handling; and

(4) equipment storage and maintenance.

(e) No deployment under this Act shall require a formal request from a community organization, nonprofit, or local government for screenings to occur in a region. The Department shall grant the right for parties of interest to express their opinions on the Screen Illinois Initiative's county and region priorities and reserve the right to modify the deployment of mobile health screening units as necessary.

(f) Subject to appropriation, the funding received by the Screen Illinois Initiative from the Department shall be used to support the operations of the mobile health screening units and hubs of the Screen Illinois Initiative by covering:

(1) the purchase and for maintenance of vehicles;

(2) the salary of clinical staff and transportation workers;

(3) the purchase and maintenance of clinical equipment;

(4) the costs of daily operations, including, but not limited to, facility costs, outreach administrators' salaries, and advertising costs; and

(5) the costs of data collection, reporting, and organization.

(g) The Screen Illinois Initiative shall conduct, at a minimum, the following additional services:

(1) cancer screenings, including screenings for lung and bronchus cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and any other screenings clinically recommended by the Department;

(2) metabolic and cardiovascular risk assessments, including assessments for body mass index, kidney function, liver function, and other assessments as clinically recommended by the Department; and

(3) vaccine-preventable disease screenings as recommended by the Department.

(h) The Department shall establish standardized, statewide follow-up and referral protocols through the Screen Illinois Initiative, such as:

(1) automatically scheduling and coordinating at least 80% of follow-up appointments at health care clinics for individuals with abnormal testing results within 30 days of notification of the result;

(2) assigning 2 patient navigators to each mobile health screening unit hub to assist constituents with getting screened, navigating insurance policies, and finding transportation services;

(3) providing language translation services for constituents who are not fluent in English; and

(4) establishing a standardized, statewide database in the Screen Illinois Initiative to:

(A) record all screening results, follow-up status, and registration information;

(B) send automated reminders to patients and providers after 7, 14, and 21 days if an appointment has not been scheduled or attended; and

(C) flag patients for further screening and escalation if no follow-up happens within 60 days.

(i) The Screen Illinois Initiative shall submit quarterly reports to the Department that include the following data:

(1) the number of screenings performed and categorized by disease or condition, age group, race and ethnicity, county, and population served, including whether it is a primary health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area or population;

(2) the number and percentage of individuals who were referred for follow-up care and the follow-up completion percentages;

(3) the statistics regarding the amount of patients at certain stages of cancer when diagnosed through Screen Illinois Initiative; and

(4) the initiative's operational metrics, including the number of mobile health screening unit hubs, staffing levels, and average travel time for screenings.

(j) On December 31st of each year, the Department shall release a publicly-accessible annual report regarding the Screen Illinois Initiative and its operation, including the complied data required under subsection (i) of this Section.

Section 20. Screen Illinois Initiative Education Program.

(a) The Department through the Screen Illinois Initiative shall implement a statewide education and outreach program to complement its mobile health screening unit initiative by:

(1) collaborating to create educational flyers and materials to be distributed in local libraries, schools, and other public places that the Department sees fit to spread information regarding the importance of early screening for diseases, the statistics about common diseases in State, and the statistics regarding current screening rates, how the Screen Illinois Initiative operates, and how members of the public can get involved with the Screen Illinois Initiative; and

(2) conducting quarterly workshops for local healthcare providers to learn more about the Screen Illinois Initiative's services, its standardized referral and follow-up policies, and its updated clinical guidelines as recommended by the Department.

(b) The Department through the Screen Illinois Initiative shall monitor the number of educational events conducted, participants reached, materials distributed, and provider trainings completed to include in the annual report by the Department required under subsection (j) of Section 15 of this Act.

Section 25. Rulemaking. The Department shall adopt any rules necessary to adopt and enforce the provisions of this Act, including, but not limited to, rules regarding the operation and staffing of mobile screening hubs, the screening services and the purchase of clinical equipment, the standardized referral and follow-up system, the education and outreach program, and the data collection, reporting, and public visibility of the Screen Illinois Initiative.