SB0150 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 04029 RPM 14067 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB0150

Introduced 1/30/2009, by Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Community Health Center Construction Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall establish the Community Health Center Construction Grant Program and may make grants to eligible community providers subject to appropriations. Provides that the grants shall be for the purpose of constructing or renovating new community health center sites, renovating existing community health center sites, and purchasing equipment to provide primary health care services to certain populations or areas. Contains provisions concerning grants, eligibility for grants, use of grant moneys, and reporting. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public 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 Community Health Center Construction Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Board" means the Illinois Capital Development Board.

"Community health center site" means a new physical site where a community health center will provide primary health care services either to a medically underserved population or area or to the uninsured population of this State.

"Community provider" means a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or FQHC Look-Alike (Community Health Center or health center), designated as such by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, that operates at least one federally designated primary health care delivery site in the State of Illinois.

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Medically underserved area" means an urban or rural area designated by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services as an area with a shortage of personal health services.

"Medically underserved population" means (i) the population of an urban or rural area designated by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services as an area with a shortage of personal health services or (ii) a population group designated by the Secretary as having a shortage of those services.

"Primary health care services" means the following:

(1) Basic health services consisting of the following:

(A) Health services related to family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, or gynecology that are furnished by physicians and, if appropriate, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurse midwives.

(B) Diagnostic laboratory and radiologic services.

(C) Preventive health services, including the following:

(i) Prenatal and perinatal services.

(ii) Screenings for breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer.

(iii) Well-child services.

(iv) Immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases.

(v) Screenings for elevated blood lead levels, communicable diseases, and cholesterol.

(vi) Pediatric eye, ear, and dental screenings to determine the need for vision and hearing correction and dental care.

(vii) Voluntary family planning services.

(viii) Preventive dental services.

(D) Emergency medical services.

(E) Pharmaceutical services as appropriate for particular health centers.

(2) Referrals to providers of medical services and other health-related services (including substance abuse and mental health services).

(3) Patient case management services (including counseling, referral, and follow-up services) and other services designed to assist health center patients in establishing eligibility for and gaining access to federal, State, and local programs that provide or financially support the provision of medical, social, educational, or other related services.

(4) Services that enable individuals to use the services of the health center (including outreach and transportation services and, if a substantial number of the individuals in the population are of limited English-speaking ability, the services of appropriate personnel fluent in the language spoken by a predominant number of those individuals).

(5) Education of patients and the general population served by the health center regarding the availability and proper use of health services.

(6) Additional health services consisting of services that are appropriate to meet the health needs of the population served by the health center involved and that may include the following:

(A) Environmental health services, including the following:

(i) Detection and alleviation of unhealthful conditions associated with water supply.

(ii) Sewage treatment.

(iii) Solid waste disposal.

(iv) Detection and alleviation of rodent and parasite infestation.

(v) Field sanitation.

(vi) Housing.

(vii) Other environmental factors related to health.

(B) Special occupation-related health services for migratory and seasonal agricultural workers, including the following:

(i) Screening for and control of infectious diseases, including parasitic diseases.

(ii) Injury prevention programs, which may include prevention of exposure to unsafe levels of agricultural chemicals, including pesticides.

"Uninsured population" means persons who do not own private health care insurance, are not part of a group insurance plan, and are not eligible for any State or federal government-sponsored health care program.

Section 10. Operation of the grant program.

(a) The Board, in consultation with the Department, shall establish the Community Health Center Construction Grant Program and may make grants to eligible community providers subject to appropriations out of funds reserved for capital improvements or expenditures as provided for in this Act. The Program shall operate in a manner so that the estimated cost of the Program during the fiscal year will not exceed the total appropriation for the Program. The grants shall be for the purpose of constructing or renovating new community health center sites, renovating existing community health center sites, and purchasing equipment to provide primary health care services to medically underserved populations or areas as defined in Section 5 of this Act or providing primary health care services to the uninsured population of Illinois.

(b) A recipient of a grant to establish a new community health center site must add each such site to the recipient's established service area for the purpose of extending federal FQHC or FQHC Look Alike status to the new site in accordance with federal regulations.

Section 15. Eligibility for grant. To be eligible for a grant under this Act, a recipient must be a community provider as defined in Section 5 of this Act.

Section 20. Use of grant moneys. A recipient of a grant under this Act may use the grant moneys to do any one or more of the following:

(1) Purchase equipment.

(2) Acquire a new physical location for the purpose of delivering primary health care services.

(3) Construct or renovate new or existing community health center sites.

Section 25. Reporting. Within 60 days after the first year of a grant under this Act, the grant recipient must submit a progress report to the Department. The Department may assist each grant recipient in meeting the goals and objectives stated in the original grant proposal submitted by the recipient, that grant moneys are being used for appropriate purposes, and that residents of the community are being served by the new community health center sites established with grant moneys.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.