102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4698

 

Introduced 1/21/2022, by Rep. Thomas Morrison

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
745 ILCS 70/13.5

    Amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. Deletes language providing that it is not a violation for any person or public official, or for any public or private association, agency, corporation, entity, institution, or employer, to take any measures or impose any requirements intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19 or any pathogens that result in COVID-19 or any of its subsequent iterations. Provides that it is a violation of the Act to take such actions. Provides that each individual shall retain the rights to bodily autonomy, make the individual's own health care decisions, and be free to accept or refuse any health or medical intervention, testing, treatment, or vaccination. Provides that the government or its designees, political subdivisions, counties, townships, municipal corporations, school districts, or other bodies corporate responsible for governmental activities in a geographic area smaller than that of the State may not require proof of medical or vaccine status of a person, or infringe upon, put conditions on, restrict, or take away a person's ability to fully participate in society based upon a person choosing to accept or decline testing, medical intervention, treatment, or vaccination. Effective Immediately or on June 1, 2022, whichever is later.


LRB102 23870 LNS 33063 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4698LRB102 23870 LNS 33063 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Health Care Right of Conscience Act is
5amended by changing Section 13.5 as follows:
 
6    (745 ILCS 70/13.5)
7    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a
8delayed effective date)
9    Sec. 13.5. Violations related to COVID-19 requirements.
10    (a) It is not a violation of this Act for any person or
11public official, or for any public or private association,
12agency, corporation, entity, institution, or employer, to take
13any measures or impose any requirements, including, but not
14limited to, any measures or requirements that involve
15provision of services by a physician or health care personnel,
16intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19 or
17any pathogens that result in COVID-19 or any of its subsequent
18iterations. It is not a violation of this Act to mandate or
19enforce such measures or requirements intended to prevent
20contraction or transmission of COVID-19 or any pathogens that
21result in COVID-19 or any of its subsequent iterations,
22including by terminating employment or by excluding
23individuals from a school, a place of employment, or a public

 

 

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1or private premises in response to noncompliance. This Section
2is a declaration of existing law and shall not be construed as
3a new enactment. Accordingly, this Section shall apply to all
4actions commenced or pending on or after the effective date of
5this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Nothing in
6this Section is intended to affect any right or remedy under
7federal law.
8    (b) Notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, or rule to the
9contrary, including a statute, ordinance, or rule addressing
10an outbreak, epidemic, or potential outbreak or epidemic of a
11contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, and
12notwithstanding any statute, rule, order, or directive that
13may be adopted in response to an emergency, including a
14national security emergency, statewide emergency, local
15emergency, public health emergency, or peacetime emergency,
16each individual shall retain the rights to bodily autonomy, to
17make the individual's own health care decisions, and to be
18free to accept or refuse any health or medical intervention,
19testing, treatment, or vaccination.
20    (c) The government or its designees, political
21subdivisions, counties, townships, municipal corporations,
22school districts, or other bodies corporate responsible for
23governmental activities in a geographic area smaller than that
24of the State, including a board of health of a city or general
25health district, or other employers, businesses, nonprofit
26organizations, institutions, churches, travel carriers, or

 

 

HB4698- 3 -LRB102 23870 LNS 33063 b

1other public or private entities, may not require proof of
2medical or vaccine status of a person, or infringe upon, put
3conditions on, restrict, or take away a person's ability to
4fully participate in society, including, but not limited to,
5education, day care, employment, travel, religion, hobbies,
6entertainment, sports, and businesses where food or beverages
7are served or sold, based upon a person choosing to accept or
8decline testing, medical intervention, treatment, or
9vaccination.
10(Source: P.A. 102-667, eff. 6-1-22.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law or on June 1, 2022, whichever is later.