State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Senate Amendment 001 ]


92_SB0016

 
                                               LRB9201703WHcs

 1        AN ACT concerning civil procedure.

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

 4        Section  5.   The  Code  of Civil Procedure is amended by
 5    changing Sections 8-2001, 8-2003, and  8-2004,  changing  the
 6    heading  of  Part  20  of  Article  VIII, and adding Sections
 7    8-2005 and 8-2006 as follows:

 8        (735 ILCS 5/Art. 8, Part 20 heading)
 9               Part 20. Inspection of Hospital Records

10        (735 ILCS 5/8-2001) (from Ch. 110, par. 8-2001)
11        (Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by  P.A.  89-7,
12    which has been held unconstitutional)
13        Sec.  8-2001.   Examination of records. Every private and
14    public hospital shall, upon the request of  any  patient  who
15    has  been  treated  in  such  hospital  and  after his or her
16    discharge therefrom, permit the patient, his or her physician
17    or authorized  attorney  to  examine  the  hospital  records,
18    including  but  not  limited  to  the history, bedside notes,
19    charts, pictures and plates,  kept  in  connection  with  the
20    treatment  of such patient, and permit copies of such records
21    to be made  by  him  or  her  or  his  or  her  physician  or
22    authorized  attorney. A request for copies examination of the
23    records shall be in writing and shall  be  delivered  to  the
24    administrator   of  such  hospital.  The  hospital  shall  be
25    reimbursed by the person requesting copies of records at  the
26    time  of  such copying for all reasonable expenses, including
27    the costs of independent copy service companies, incurred  by
28    the  hospital in connection with such copying not to exceed a
29    $25 handling charge for processing the request for copies and
30    37 cents per page (except that the charge shall not exceed $1
 
                            -2-                LRB9201703WHcs
 1    per page for any copies made from microfiche  or  microfilm),
 2    and   actual   shipping   costs.      These  rates  shall  be
 3    automatically adjusted as set forth in  Section  8-2006.  The
 4    hospital  may, however, charge for the reasonable cost of all
 5    duplication of record material  or  information  that  cannot
 6    routinely  be  copied  or duplicated on a standard commercial
 7    photocopy machine such as x-ray films or pictures.
 8        The requirements  of  this  Section  shall  be  satisfied
 9    within  60 days of the receipt of a request by a patient, for
10    his or her physician, authorized attorney, or own person.
11        Failure to comply with the time limit requirement of this
12    Section shall subject  the  denying  party  to  expenses  and
13    reasonable  attorneys'  fees  incurred in connection with any
14    court ordered enforcement of the provisions of this Section.
15    (Source: P.A. 84-7.)

16        (735 ILCS 5/8-2003) (from Ch. 110, par. 8-2003)
17        (Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by  P.A.  89-7,
18    which has been held unconstitutional)
19        Sec.  8-2003. Physician's Records of physicians and other
20    health care practitioners.   In this Section,  "practitioner"
21    means  any  health  care practitioner other than a physician,
22    clinical psychologist, or clinical social worker.
23        Every physician and practitioner shall, upon the  request
24    of  any  patient  who  has  been treated by such physician or
25    practitioner, permit such patient's physician,  practitioner,
26    or  authorized  attorney  to  examine  and copy the patient's
27    records, including but not limited to those relating  to  the
28    diagnosis,  treatment,  prognosis,  history, charts, pictures
29    and plates, kept in connection with  the  treatment  of  such
30    patient.   Such  request  for  examining  and  copying of the
31    records shall be in writing and shall be  delivered  to  such
32    physician  or  practitioner.   Such  written request shall be
33    complied with by  the  physician  or  practitioner  within  a
 
                            -3-                LRB9201703WHcs
 1    reasonable  time  after  receipt  by him or her at his or her
 2    office or any other place designated  by  him  or  her.   The
 3    physician  or  practitioner shall be reimbursed by the person
 4    requesting such records at the time of  such  examination  or
 5    copying,  for all reasonable expenses, including the costs of
 6    independent copy service companies, incurred by the physician
 7    or  practitioner  in  connection  with  such  examination  or
 8    copying not to exceed a $25 handling  charge  for  processing
 9    the  request  for  copies, and 37 cents per page (except that
10    the charge shall not exceed $1 per page for any  copies  made
11    from  microfiche  or  microfilm),  and actual shipping costs.
12    These rates shall be automatically adjusted as set  forth  in
13    Section  8-2006.  The  physician  or  other practitioner may,
14    however, charge for the reasonable cost of all duplication of
15    record material  or  information  that  cannot  routinely  be
16    copied  or  duplicated  on  a  standard  commercial photocopy
17    machine such as x-ray films or pictures.
18        The requirements  of  this  Section  shall  be  satisfied
19    within  60  days of the receipt of a request by a patient or,
20    his or her physician, practitioner, or authorized attorney.
21        Failure to comply with the time limit requirement of this
22    Section shall subject  the  denying  party  to  expenses  and
23    reasonable  attorneys'  fees  incurred in connection with any
24    court ordered enforcement of the provisions of this Section.
25    (Source: P.A. 84-7.)

26        (735 ILCS 5/8-2004) (from Ch. 110, par. 8-2004)
27        (Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by  P.A.  89-7,
28    which has been held unconstitutional)
29        Sec.  8-2004.   Records  of  clinical  psychologists  and
30    clinical   social   workers.    Except   where  the  clinical
31    psychologist or clinical social worker consents, records of a
32    clinical psychologist or clinical social worker regulated  in
33    this State, relating to psychological services or social work
 
                            -4-                LRB9201703WHcs
 1    services,  shall  not  be  examined  or  copied by a patient,
 2    unless otherwise ordered by the court for good  cause  shown.
 3    For  the  purpose of obtaining records, the patient or his or
 4    her authorized agent may apply to the circuit  court  of  the
 5    county  in  which  the patient resides or the county in which
 6    the clinical psychologist or clinical social worker  resides.
 7    The  clinical psychologist or clinical social worker shall be
 8    reimbursed by the person requesting the records at  the  time
 9    of  the  examination or copying, for all reasonable expenses,
10    including the costs of independent  copy  service  companies,
11    incurred  by  the  clinical  psychologist  or clinical social
12    worker in connection with the examination or copying, not  to
13    exceed  a  $25 handling charge for processing the request for
14    copies, and 37 cents per page (except that the  charge  shall
15    not exceed $1 per page for any copies made from microfiche or
16    microfilm),  and  actual shipping costs. These rates shall be
17    automatically adjusted as set forth in  Section  8-2006.  The
18    clinical psychologist or clinical social worker may, however,
19    charge  for  the reasonable cost of all duplication of record
20    material or information that cannot routinely  be  copied  or
21    duplicated or a standard commercial photocopy machine such as
22    pictures.
23    (Source: P.A. 87-530.)

24        (735 ILCS 5/8-2005 new)
25        Sec.  8-2005.  Attorney's  records.  This Section applies
26    only if a client and his  or  her  authorized  attorney  have
27    complied  with  all  applicable  legal requirements regarding
28    examination and copying of client files,  including  but  not
29    limited  to  satisfaction  of expenses and attorney retaining
30    liens.
31        Upon the request of a client, an  attorney  shall  permit
32    the  client's  authorized  attorney  to  examine and copy the
33    records  kept  by  the  attorney  in  connection   with   the
 
                            -5-                LRB9201703WHcs
 1    representation  of the client, with the exception of attorney
 2    work product. The request for examination and copying of  the
 3    records  shall  be  in  writing and shall be delivered to the
 4    attorney.   Within  a  reasonable  time  after  the  attorney
 5    receives the written request, the attorney shall comply  with
 6    the  written  request at his or her office or any other place
 7    designated by him or her.  At the time of copying, the person
 8    requesting the records shall reimburse the attorney  for  all
 9    reasonable  expenses, including the costs of independent copy
10    service companies, incurred by  the  attorney  in  connection
11    with  the  copying  not  to  exceed a $25 handling charge for
12    processing the request for copies,  and  37  cents  per  page
13    (except  that the charge shall not exceed $1 per page for any
14    copies  made  from  microfiche  or  microfilm),  and   actual
15    shipping  costs.  These rates shall be automatically adjusted
16    as set forth in Section 8-2006. The  attorney  may,  however,
17    charge  for  the reasonable cost of all duplication of record
18    material or information that cannot routinely  be  copied  or
19    duplicated on a standard commercial photocopy machine such as
20    pictures.
21        An  attorney  shall  satisfy  the  requirements  of  this
22    Section  within  60  days  after he or she receives a request
23    from a client or his or her authorized attorney.  An attorney
24    who fails to comply with the time limit requirement  of  this
25    Section  shall  be  required  to  pay expenses and reasonable
26    attorney's fees incurred in connection with any court-ordered
27    enforcement of the requirements of this Section.

28        (735 ILCS 5/8-2006 new)
29        Sec. 8-2006.  Copying  fees;  adjustment  for  inflation.
30    Beginning  in  2003, every January 20, the copying fee limits
31    established in Sections 8-2001, 8-2003,  8-2004,  and  8-2005
32    shall automatically be increased or decreased, as applicable,
33    by  a  percentage  equal  to  the  percentage  change  in the
 
                            -6-                LRB9201703WHcs
 1    consumer price index-u during the preceding 12-month calendar
 2    year. "Consumer price index-u" means the index  published  by
 3    the   Bureau   of  Labor  Statistics  of  the  United  States
 4    Department of Labor  that  measures  the  average  change  in
 5    prices   of   goods  and  services  purchased  by  all  urban
 6    consumers, United States city average, all items,  1982-84  =
 7    100.  The  new  amount  resulting from each annual adjustment
 8    shall be determined by the Comptroller and made available  to
 9    the public on January 20 of every year.

10        Section  99.   Effective  date.  This Act takes effect 30
11    days after becoming law.

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