Public Act 103-0908
 
SB2644 EnrolledLRB103 34708 JDS 64555 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Secretary of State Act is amended by adding
Section 34 as follows:
 
    (15 ILCS 305/34 new)
    Sec. 34. Advance Directive Registry.
    (a) By January 1, 2027, the Secretary of State shall
establish an electronic registry, to be known as the Advance
Directive Registry, through which residents of the State of
Illinois may deposit, with the Secretary of State, a completed
Department of Public Health Uniform Practitioner Order for
Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. In calendar year 2026,
the Secretary of State shall, in good faith, promote the
Advance Directive Registry throughout the State by
disseminating information about the Advance Directive Registry
in the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of State.
    (b) Information in the Advance Directive Registry shall be
made available electronically to Emergency Medical Services
personnel as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Systems Act, administrators of hospitals licensed under the
Hospital Licensing Act, and administrators of hospitals
organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act.
Hospital administrators shall, as appropriate for their
respective hospital, provide access to information in the
Advance Directive Registry to hospital health care providers
and health care professionals. Persons may rely on information
obtained from the Advance Directive Registry as an accurate
copy of the documents filed with the Advance Directive
Registry.
    (c) Nothing in this Section shall limit the right to amend
or revoke a Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form
previously filed with the Advance Directive Registry.
    (d) The Secretary of State shall adopt any rules necessary
to implement this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
Assembly, and the Secretary of State shall also provide on the
Secretary of State's website information regarding use of the
Advance Directive Registry.
    (e) In the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct, the Secretary of State and employees of the
Secretary of State are immune from any civil or criminal
liability in connection with the creation and maintenance of
the Advance Directive Registry described in this Section.
    (f) A person who knowingly submits a document to the
Advance Directive Registry without authorization or assists in
such submission shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
    (g) Nothing in this Section requires a health care
professional or health care provider, including Emergency
Medical Services personnel as defined in the Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) Systems Act, a hospital licensed under the
Hospital Licensing Act, and a hospital organized under the
University of Illinois Hospital Act, to (i) inquire whether a
patient has a Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form
registered on the Advance Directive Registry or (ii) access or
search the Advance Directive Registry to determine whether a
patient has registered a Department of Public Health Uniform
POLST form or the terms of the form.
    (h) A health care professional or health care provider,
including Emergency Medical Services personnel as defined in
the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, a hospital
licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act, and a hospital
organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act, is
not subject to civil or criminal liability or professional
discipline for failure to access or search the Advance
Directive Registry. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Section, a health care professional or health care
provider who relies in good faith on the provisions of a
Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form retrieved from
the Advance Directive Registry is immune from criminal and
civil liability as described in subsection (d) of Section 65
of the Health Care Surrogate Act and Section 3.150 of the
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.