* WAND…

An Illinois House Democrat has filed a bill to tackle medical misinformation in Illinois. The legislation would give more authority to the state’s public health department and community leaders. […]

His bill could create a healthcare misinformation response unit within the Illinois Department of Public Health. This unit would be responsible for monitoring health misinformation trends on social media, community forums and other web or news sources. They would also have the ability to issue public health advisories to counter misinformation with facts.

The plan calls for public health literacy grants to help community-based organizations, schools and libraries establish health literacy programs to teach residents how to evaluate medical claims, spot misinformation and access trusted care. […]

[Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton)], an emergency medicine doctor by trade, said the state should have no role in deciding what medical information people should believe.

However, [Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford)] said his bill would require IDPH to recruit and train local health professionals and community leaders to serve as trusted messengers for health information.

* Inside Climate News…

Illinois lawmakers plan to introduce a climate change superfund bill in the state legislature this session, the latest in a growing number of states seeking to make fossil fuel companies pay up for the fast-growing financial fallout of climate change.

As the costs of global warming rise—in the form of home insurance premiums, utility bills, health expenses and record-breaking damages from extreme weather—local advocates are increasingly pushing states to require that fossil fuel companies contribute to climate “superfunds” that would support mitigation and adaptation.

Illinois state Rep. Robyn Gabel, who will introduce the bill in the House, said she is motivated by the growing threat of flooding and heat waves in the state. […]

Climate superfund bills are based on the premise that the companies most heavily contributing to the climate crisis should be on the hook to pay for its growing costs. The strategy pulls from the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act—known as Superfund—which forces companies responsible for toxic contamination to pay for cleanup.

* Rep. Stephanie Kifowit…

State Representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, has filed new legislation to reform Illinois’ Tier 2 pension system, addressing long-standing inequities that threaten retirement security for public employees and risk violating federal pension standards. Since becoming the chair of the Pensions committee three years ago, she has been a tireless advocate for state employees and a fair and equitable pension plan.

Illinois’ Tier 2 system applies to state and public safety employees hired on or after January 1, 2011, and currently is in violation of the Safe Harbor Provision of the Federal Government. Employees do not pay into social security and rely solely on the state of Illinois pension plan. While workers pay into the system every paycheck, and the state has continued to short change it’s obligation leading to a significant pension liability. This creates uncertainty for employees and long-term risk for the state.

“For Tier 2 workers, the pension promise has been eroded by the Tier 2 ‘fix’ in 2011,” Kifowit said. “People are working full careers, paying in every month, and still being told to retire later, live on less, and hope the math works out. That is not acceptable and it’s not sustainable and it is solely the State of Illinois fault”.

Kifowit’s bill complements reforms outlined in Senate Bill 1937 and adds a funding component for the states and local governments for the adjustments in benefits. The targeted changes seek to restore balance, fairness, and federal compliance within the pension system.

* Illinois Primary Health Care Association…

Patients, community advocates, and health care leaders will gather on February 1 at 3401 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago for the 340B Saves Lives Action Day, calling on policymakers to protect and strengthen the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a critical lifeline that helps save lives and allows community health centers and safety net hospitals serve patients most in need.

The 340B program allows eligible hospitals and community health centers to stretch limited resources, providing affordable medications and essential health care services to low-income, urban and rural uninsured patients. Ongoing attacks to the discount drug program threaten patients’ access to care and could force providers to cut critical programs and services.
Speakers will include patients and health care leaders who rely on 340B to deliver care in underserved communities. Media will have opportunities for interviews and visuals throughout the event.

WHY IT MATTERS:

The future of 340B is at risk. This Action Day sends a clear message: 340B saves lives. Without 340B patients lose access to affordable, lifesaving medications and safety net providers will be forced to close their doors.

* Rep. Maurice West filed HB4611 this week…

Amends the Election Code. Provides that, no later than January 1, 2028, the State Board of Elections shall develop or cause to be developed an additional option within the online voter registration system that permits a person who is eligible to register to vote and has a social security number but does not have an Illinois driver’s license or State identification card to apply to register to vote or to update an existing voter registration by uploading a completed voter registration form. Sets forth procedures for the processing of online registration forms by a county clerk or board of election commissioners.

* Fox Chicago…

The Workplace Extreme Temperature Safety Act, introduced by State Senator Robert Peters and State Representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr., would establish the first enforceable extreme temperature standards for Illinois workers.

Supporters say the bill is urgently needed after this week’s arctic blast, when schools closed, transit shut down, and cities opened warming centers while thousands of workers still had to show up to load baggage on frozen tarmacs, deliver packages, and work in warehouses that felt like refrigerators. […]

Right now, Illinois has no state law setting temperature limits or requiring employers to protect workers from extreme cold or heat. That leaves gaps for workers who aren’t covered by union contracts or company policies, advocates say, and puts the burden on individual workers to speak up or walk off the job at the risk of retaliation. […]

The bill would require employers to provide protective equipment like gloves, access to warming stations or cooling areas, rest breaks, and emergency protocols when temperatures hit certain levels.

* Rep. Kam Buckner filed HB4663 yesterday…

Creates the Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act. Provides that in order to commence an autonomous vehicle pilot project, a person must provide to the Department of Transportation a statement that sets forth the operational design domain for an autonomous vehicle pilot project. Provides that the operational design domain for an autonomous vehicle pilot project must be confined to counties having or exceeding a population of 1,000,000 individuals, as determined by the most recent federal decennial census, Sangamon County, or the counties of Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe. Allows the Department to authorize the statewide deployment of autonomous vehicles beyond the operational design domain after a period of 3 years following the effective date of the Act, as long as the Department determines the pilot projects conducted have demonstrated safety and operational readiness. Sets forth the conditions a person must meet to operate an autonomous vehicle on the public roads of the State with the automated driving system engaged. Requires a person to obtain authorization from the Department to operate an autonomous vehicle on the public roads of the State. Includes provisions regarding licensing, duties following crashes involving autonomous vehicles, registration and title, operation of a motor vehicle with an automated driving system by a human driver, vehicle equipment standards, evaluation data, the controlling authority, and home rule. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2029. Makes conforming changes to the Illinois Vehicle Code and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Effective immediately.

* HB4621 from Rep. Dave Severin…

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that there shall be no fee for one Deer Hunting Permit to take one deer in one season with either bow and arrow or gun for a resident of the State who receives assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.

* Illinois Primary Health Care Association…

Patients, community advocates, and health care leaders will gather on February 1 at 3401 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago for the 340B Saves Lives Action Day, calling on policymakers to protect and strengthen the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a critical lifeline that helps save lives and allows community health centers and safety net hospitals serve patients most in need.
The 340B program allows eligible hospitals and community health centers to stretch limited resources, providing affordable medications and essential health care services to low-income, urban and rural uninsured patients. Ongoing attacks to the discount drug program threaten patients’ access to care and could force providers to cut critical programs and services.
Speakers will include patients and health care leaders who rely on 340B to deliver care in underserved communities. Media will have opportunities for interviews and visuals throughout the event.

The future of 340B is at risk. This Action Day sends a clear message: 340B saves lives. Without 340B patients lose access to affordable, lifesaving medications and safety net providers will be forced to close their doors.

* Center Square…

A newly introduced bill in the Illinois Senate would add new child-safety education, warning labels and storage requirements for cannabis products, prompting cautious support, and questions, from the state’s cannabis industry.

Senate Bill 2866, sponsored by Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frankfort, would expand child-safety requirements for cannabis dispensaries.

Tiffany Ingram, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said the industry supports protecting children but wants clarity on how the proposal would be implemented and what issue it is intended to address. […]

While the bill focuses on regulated cannabis, Ingram said many incidents involving children and cannabis exposure stem from unregulated intoxicating hemp products, such as delta-8 THC.

* SB2897 from Sen. Celina Villanueva…

Amends the Personal Information Protection Act. Provides that a data collector shall not own, maintain, license, store, or disclose records that contain immigration or citizenship status information concerning an Illinois resident. Provides that the provision shall not apply to government agencies, public and private universities, or financial institutions. Provides that the definition of “personal information” includes immigration or citizenship status information. Defines “immigration or citizenship status information”.

* SB2926 from Sen. Jil Tracy…

Amends the Time Standardization Act. Exempts the State from daylight saving time requirements under the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966.

* More…

* Center Square | Remote marriage license bill faces skepticism from former clerk: House Bill 4508 would allow people with disabilities or serious health conditions to apply for a marriage license through a real-time video call and, in limited cases, permit a county clerk or designee to complete the application at an applicant’s location. Supporters say the bill removes barriers for those with mobility challenges, while critics, like state Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, argue it would add administrative burdens and raises concerns about verifying eligibility remotely.

* Press release | Briel Bill to Expand Support, Funds for Local Fire Protection Services: State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, is introducing a measure that seeks to utilize the funds already collected by cities for open burn permits and permit violations to support fire protection services in local governments. Briel’s House Bill 4459 would create the Local Government Open Burn Permit Act. The measure allows any county or municipality to establish permit requirements for anyone seeking to perform an open burn. The permit may not be more than $5, which will be used to support local fire protection services. Those found in violation of the act face monetary penalties, which will also be allocated to the municipality’s fire department or local first responder services.

* Press release | Ness Bill Targets Tracking Data, Protecting Consumers From Price Increases: With the growing consumer preference for mobile shopping, retailers are increasingly collecting data from online shoppers. Ness is sponsoring House Bill 4248 to create the Algorithmic Pricing Transparency Act, which would create standards for businesses engaged with surveillance pricing. The measure would require online businesses to provide a clear disclosure when they are using the consumer’s personal information to price the cost of a good or service, while allowing consumers to opt-out and pay a baseline price. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of sensitive personal information, like race, religion and immigration status, to determine pricing.