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1 | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth | ||||||
5 | Health and Safety Act. | ||||||
6 | Section 5. Findings and declaration of policy. The General | ||||||
7 | Assembly finds, determines, and declares the following:
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8 | (1) In 2019, the State of Illinois enacted the | ||||||
9 | Reproductive Health Act to establish and affirm the | ||||||
10 | fundamental right of all individuals in our State to make | ||||||
11 | their own decisions about their reproductive health care | ||||||
12 | without government interference.
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13 | (2) Illinois' support of reproductive health care | ||||||
14 | stood in stark contrast to actions in other states aimed | ||||||
15 | at limiting, and even banning, access to reproductive | ||||||
16 | health care, including abortion care. The Reproductive | ||||||
17 | Health Act further established Illinois as a bulwark in | ||||||
18 | the protection of access to reproductive health care in | ||||||
19 | the Midwest. The pace of attacks on the fundamental right | ||||||
20 | of individuals to make autonomous decisions about their | ||||||
21 | lives has accelerated dangerously since 2019.
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22 | (3) So far in calendar year 2021, 47 states considered | ||||||
23 | severe abortion restrictions, including 10 bans in direct |
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1 | conflict with the basic guarantees contained in Roe v. | ||||||
2 | Wade and the protections codified under the Reproductive | ||||||
3 | Health Act. Additionally, the Supreme Court of the United | ||||||
4 | States is being asked to overturn the holding in Roe v. | ||||||
5 | Wade in a case concerning an abortion ban in Mississippi, | ||||||
6 | a development threatening to leave millions of Americans | ||||||
7 | without access to abortion care.
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8 | (4) These attacks reached their zenith with the | ||||||
9 | passage of an abortion ban in Texas that deputized | ||||||
10 | individuals across the country to act as "bounty hunters" | ||||||
11 | allowing for lawsuits against physicians providing | ||||||
12 | abortion care to people who are pregnant and others | ||||||
13 | helping those seeking that care.
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14 | (5) Illinois again is called to be an example for the | ||||||
15 | nation in the protection of reproductive health care while | ||||||
16 | also working to establish healthy family communications, | ||||||
17 | protecting the health and safety of youth including those | ||||||
18 | who are pregnant and parenting, and investing in | ||||||
19 | individuals throughout their lives.
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20 | (6) It is in the public policy interest of the State to | ||||||
21 | ensure that Illinois residents, and individuals coming to | ||||||
22 | the State of Illinois to access reproductive health care, | ||||||
23 | are safe and free from barriers to access, including, but | ||||||
24 | not limited to, medically unnecessary waiting periods, | ||||||
25 | bans on particular reproductive health procedures, and | ||||||
26 | restrictions or legal threats when accessing reproductive |
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1 | health care. The State of Illinois recognizes it is not | ||||||
2 | the role of government to deny access to reproductive | ||||||
3 | health care for its residents and those traveling to the | ||||||
4 | State to access healthcare, especially those who are | ||||||
5 | traveling to the State of Illinois because of the | ||||||
6 | implementation of severe abortion restrictions in their | ||||||
7 | home states. It is also in the public policy interest of | ||||||
8 | the State to protect and support providers of reproductive | ||||||
9 | health care and ensure that there are no penalties | ||||||
10 | targeting providers, and individuals who support or aide | ||||||
11 | those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The | ||||||
12 | State of Illinois also opposes criminal litigation | ||||||
13 | directed at those who provide healthcare or support to | ||||||
14 | individuals traveling from states with such laws.
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15 | (7) The Youth Health and Safety Act seeks to restate | ||||||
16 | Illinois' commitment to full and equitable access to | ||||||
17 | reproductive health care for all persons across the State, | ||||||
18 | without barriers based on race or ethnicity, immigration | ||||||
19 | status, age, geographic location, economic means, | ||||||
20 | education level, or other categories of identity. The Act | ||||||
21 | confirms that Illinois will not move backwards and will | ||||||
22 | continue to assure that reproductive rights are protected | ||||||
23 | and recognized.
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24 | Section 10. The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working | ||||||
25 | Group; duties and responsibilities.
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1 | (a) The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working Group is | ||||||
2 | created for the purpose of identifying and reviewing laws and | ||||||
3 | regulations that impact pregnant and parenting youth and youth | ||||||
4 | that may become pregnant or a parent. The working group shall | ||||||
5 | identify existing and needed resources for pregnant and | ||||||
6 | parenting youth, and youth seeking reproductive healthcare. In | ||||||
7 | this Act, "youth" means an individual under 18 years of age.
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8 | The working group shall prepare and make public a report | ||||||
9 | that details available information and makes recommendations | ||||||
10 | as necessary.
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11 | (b) The working group shall identify laws and regulations | ||||||
12 | that impact pregnant and parenting youth, or that may impact a | ||||||
13 | pregnant or parenting youth, and provide information and | ||||||
14 | resources on topics related to healthcare, including, but not | ||||||
15 | limited to the following:
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16 | (1) consent to medical care, including what healthcare | ||||||
17 | and treatments are available, and access to confidential | ||||||
18 | treatment and care;
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19 | (2) pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and parenting;
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20 | (3) counseling services, including, but not limited | ||||||
21 | to, reproduction and sexual health, pregnancy and | ||||||
22 | post-pregnancy, mental health, family, and parenting;
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23 | (4) emancipation; and
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24 | (5) insurance coverage.
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25 | (c) The working group shall identify and provide | ||||||
26 | information and resources that encourage and support open |
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1 | communication and conversation between youth and their | ||||||
2 | families and other trusted people in their lives, including, | ||||||
3 | but not limited to, counseling services, classes and | ||||||
4 | workshops, talk and text-lines, online and social media | ||||||
5 | options, tools targeted to parents and adults, and tools | ||||||
6 | targeted to youth.
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7 | (d) The working group shall identify and provide | ||||||
8 | information and resources for pregnant and parenting youth | ||||||
9 | related to education, employment, housing, food access, child | ||||||
10 | care, and human trafficking, including the prevention of | ||||||
11 | trafficking.
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12 | Section 15. Membership; meetings.
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13 | (a) The members of the working group shall include and | ||||||
14 | represent the diversity of the people of Illinois, and shall | ||||||
15 | be composed of the following:
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16 | (1) Four members appointed by the Senate President, | ||||||
17 | with at least 2 youth.
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18 | (2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of | ||||||
19 | the Senate, with at least one youth.
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20 | (3) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House | ||||||
21 | of Representatives, with at least 2 youth.
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22 | (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of | ||||||
23 | the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with at least | ||||||
24 | one youth.
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25 | (5) One State Representative appointed by the Speaker |
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1 | of the House of Representatives. | ||||||
2 | (6) One State Representative appointed by the Minority | ||||||
3 | Leader of the House of
Representatives. | ||||||
4 | (7) One State Senator appointed by the President of | ||||||
5 | the Senate. | ||||||
6 | (8) One State Senator appointed by the Minority Leader | ||||||
7 | of the Senate. | ||||||
8 | (9) Four members appointed by the Governor, with at | ||||||
9 | least 2 youth. | ||||||
10 | (b) Appointments for the working group shall be made on or | ||||||
11 | before August 31, 2022.
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12 | (c) Members shall serve without compensation.
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13 | (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide | ||||||
14 | administrative support to the working group.
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15 | Section 20. Report; dissolution. The working group shall | ||||||
16 | issue a report based upon its findings. The report shall be | ||||||
17 | submitted to the Governor and General Assembly no later than | ||||||
18 | July 1, 2023. | ||||||
19 | Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, | ||||||
20 | 2024. | ||||||
21 | Section 90. Public Act 89-18, approved June 1, 1995, as | ||||||
22 | amended, is repealed.
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