Public Act 102-0685
 
HB0370 EnrolledLRB102 02739 LNS 12742 b

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