SB1972 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 09002 AAS 19058 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1972

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Rachel Ventura

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

410 ILCS 50/8 new
225 ILCS 115/14.3 new

Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act and the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004. Provides that a health care provider and a person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine shall not charge a patient or client or require the patient or client to pay a fee for a missed or late appointment. Provides that nothing in the provisions shall be construed to prohibit health care providers and a persons engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine from developing and implementing an incentive program to encourage patients or clients to adhere to scheduled appointments. Provides that any health care provider or person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine that violates the provisions concerning missed and late appointment fees is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $500 per violation.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Medical Patient Rights Act is amended by adding Section 8 as follows:

(410 ILCS 50/8 new)

Sec. 8. Missed and late appointment fees.

(a) As used in this Section, "health care provider" means any individual licensed under the laws of this State to provide health services, including, but not limited to, dentists licensed under the Illinois Dental Practice Act; dental hygienists licensed under the Illinois Dental Practice Act; licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses licensed under the Nurse Practice Act; occupational therapists licensed under the Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act; optometrists licensed under the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987; pharmacists licensed under the Pharmacy Practice Act; physical therapists licensed under the Illinois Physical Therapy Act; physicians licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987; physician assistants licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987; podiatric physicians licensed under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987; clinical psychologists licensed under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act; clinical social workers licensed under the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act; speech-language pathologists and audiologists licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act; or hearing instrument dispensers licensed under the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act, or any of their successor Acts.

(b) Except as otherwise required by law, health care providers shall not charge a patient or require the patient to pay a fee for a missed or late appointment.

(c) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit health care providers from developing and implementing an incentive program to encourage patients to adhere to scheduled appointments.

(d) Any health care provider that violates this Section is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $500 per violation.

Section 10. The Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 is amended by adding Section 14.3 as follows:

(225 ILCS 115/14.3 new)

Sec. 14.3. Missed and late appointment fees.

(a) Except as otherwise required by law, a person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine shall not charge a client or require the client to pay a fee for a missed or late appointment.

(b) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine from developing and implementing an incentive program to encourage clients to adhere to scheduled appointments for veterinary medicine.

(c) Any person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine that violates this Section is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $500 per violation.