Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB0370
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Full Text of HB0370  102nd General Assembly

HB0370enr 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth
5Health and Safety Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings and declaration of policy. The General
7Assembly finds, determines, and declares the following:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
 
24    Section 10. The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working
25Group; duties and responsibilities.

 

 

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1    (a) The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working Group is
2created for the purpose of identifying and reviewing laws and
3regulations that impact pregnant and parenting youth and youth
4that may become pregnant or a parent. The working group shall
5identify existing and needed resources for pregnant and
6parenting youth, and youth seeking reproductive healthcare. In
7this Act, "youth" means an individual under 18 years of age.
8    The working group shall prepare and make public a report
9that details available information and makes recommendations
10as necessary.
11    (b) The working group shall identify laws and regulations
12that impact pregnant and parenting youth, or that may impact a
13pregnant or parenting youth, and provide information and
14resources on topics related to healthcare, including, but not
15limited to the following:
16        (1) consent to medical care, including what healthcare
17    and treatments are available, and access to confidential
18    treatment and care;
19        (2) pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and parenting;
20        (3) counseling services, including, but not limited
21    to, reproduction and sexual health, pregnancy and
22    post-pregnancy, mental health, family, and parenting;
23        (4) emancipation; and
24        (5) insurance coverage.
25    (c) The working group shall identify and provide
26information and resources that encourage and support open

 

 

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1communication and conversation between youth and their
2families and other trusted people in their lives, including,
3but not limited to, counseling services, classes and
4workshops, talk and text-lines, online and social media
5options, tools targeted to parents and adults, and tools
6targeted to youth.
7    (d) The working group shall identify and provide
8information and resources for pregnant and parenting youth
9related to education, employment, housing, food access, child
10care, and human trafficking, including the prevention of
11trafficking.
 
12    Section 15. Membership; meetings.
13    (a) The members of the working group shall include and
14represent the diversity of the people of Illinois, and shall
15be composed of the following:
16        (1) Four members appointed by the Senate President,
17    with at least 2 youth.
18        (2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of
19    the Senate, with at least one youth.
20        (3) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House
21    of Representatives, with at least 2 youth.
22        (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of
23    the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with at least
24    one youth.
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
11before August 31, 2022.
12    (c) Members shall serve without compensation.
13    (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide
14administrative support to the working group.
 
15    Section 20. Report; dissolution. The working group shall
16issue a report based upon its findings. The report shall be
17submitted to the Governor and General Assembly no later than
18July 1, 2023.
 
19    Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
202024.
 
21    Section 90. Public Act 89-18, approved June 1, 1995, as
22amended, is repealed.