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Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.
Filed: 10/26/2021
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1 | | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 370
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2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 370 by replacing |
3 | | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth |
5 | | Health and Safety Act. |
6 | | Section 5. Findings and declaration of policy. The General |
7 | | Assembly finds, determines, and declares the following:
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8 | | (1) In 2019, the State of Illinois enacted the |
9 | | Reproductive Health Act to establish and affirm the |
10 | | fundamental right of all individuals in our State to make |
11 | | their own decisions about their reproductive health care |
12 | | without government interference.
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13 | | (2) Illinois' support of reproductive health care |
14 | | stood in stark contrast to actions in other states aimed |
15 | | at limiting, and even banning, access to reproductive |
16 | | health care, including abortion care. The Reproductive |
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1 | | Health Act further established Illinois as a bulwark in |
2 | | the protection of access to reproductive health care in |
3 | | the Midwest. The pace of attacks on the fundamental right |
4 | | of individuals to make autonomous decisions about their |
5 | | lives has accelerated dangerously since 2019.
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6 | | (3) So far in calendar year 2021, 47 states considered |
7 | | severe abortion restrictions, including 10 bans in direct |
8 | | conflict with the basic guarantees contained in Roe v. |
9 | | Wade and the protections codified under the Reproductive |
10 | | Health Act. Additionally, the Supreme Court of the United |
11 | | States is being asked to overturn the holding in Roe v. |
12 | | Wade in a case concerning an abortion ban in Mississippi, |
13 | | a development threatening to leave millions of Americans |
14 | | without access to abortion care.
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15 | | (4) These attacks reached their zenith with the |
16 | | passage of an abortion ban in Texas that deputized |
17 | | individuals across the country to act as "bounty hunters" |
18 | | allowing for lawsuits against physicians providing |
19 | | abortion care to people who are pregnant and others |
20 | | helping those seeking that care.
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21 | | (5) Illinois again is called to be an example for the |
22 | | nation in the protection of reproductive health care while |
23 | | also working to establish healthy family communications, |
24 | | protecting the health and safety of youth including those |
25 | | who are pregnant and parenting, and investing in |
26 | | individuals throughout their lives.
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1 | | (6) It is in the public policy interest of the State to |
2 | | ensure that Illinois residents, and individuals coming to |
3 | | the State of Illinois to access reproductive health care, |
4 | | are safe and free from barriers to access, including, but |
5 | | not limited to, medically unnecessary waiting periods, |
6 | | bans on particular reproductive health procedures, and |
7 | | restrictions or legal threats when accessing reproductive |
8 | | health care. The State of Illinois recognizes it is not |
9 | | the role of government to deny access to reproductive |
10 | | health care for its residents and those traveling to the |
11 | | State to access healthcare, especially those who are |
12 | | traveling to the State of Illinois because of the |
13 | | implementation of severe abortion restrictions in their |
14 | | home states. It is also in the public policy interest of |
15 | | the State to protect and support providers of reproductive |
16 | | health care and ensure that there are no penalties |
17 | | targeting providers, and individuals who support or aide |
18 | | those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The |
19 | | State of Illinois also opposes criminal litigation |
20 | | directed at those who provide healthcare or support to |
21 | | individuals traveling from states with such laws.
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22 | | (7) The Youth Health and Safety Act seeks to restate |
23 | | Illinois' commitment to full and equitable access to |
24 | | reproductive health care for all persons across the State, |
25 | | without barriers based on race or ethnicity, immigration |
26 | | status, age, geographic location, economic means, |
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1 | | education level, or other categories of identity. The Act |
2 | | confirms that Illinois will not move backwards and will |
3 | | continue to assure that reproductive rights are protected |
4 | | and recognized.
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5 | | Section 10. The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working |
6 | | Group; duties and responsibilities.
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7 | | (a) The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working Group is |
8 | | created for the purpose of identifying and reviewing laws and |
9 | | regulations that impact pregnant and parenting youth and youth |
10 | | that may become pregnant or a parent. The working group shall |
11 | | identify existing and needed resources for pregnant and |
12 | | parenting youth, and youth seeking reproductive healthcare. In |
13 | | this Act, "youth" means an individual under 18 years of age.
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14 | | The working group shall prepare and make public a report |
15 | | that details available information and makes recommendations |
16 | | as necessary.
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17 | | (b) The working group shall identify laws and regulations |
18 | | that impact pregnant and parenting youth, or that may impact a |
19 | | pregnant or parenting youth, and provide information and |
20 | | resources on topics related to healthcare, including, but not |
21 | | limited to the following:
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22 | | (1) consent to medical care, including what healthcare |
23 | | and treatments are available, and access to confidential |
24 | | treatment and care;
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25 | | (2) pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and parenting;
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1 | | (3) counseling services, including, but not limited |
2 | | to, reproduction and sexual health, pregnancy and |
3 | | post-pregnancy, mental health, family, and parenting;
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4 | | (4) emancipation; and
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5 | | (5) insurance coverage.
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6 | | (c) The working group shall identify and provide |
7 | | information and resources that encourage and support open |
8 | | communication and conversation between youth and their |
9 | | families and other trusted people in their lives, including, |
10 | | but not limited to, counseling services, classes and |
11 | | workshops, talk and text-lines, online and social media |
12 | | options, tools targeted to parents and adults, and tools |
13 | | targeted to youth.
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14 | | (d) The working group shall identify and provide |
15 | | information and resources for pregnant and parenting youth |
16 | | related to education, employment, housing, food access, and |
17 | | child care.
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18 | | Section 15. Membership; meetings.
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19 | | (a) The members of the working group shall include and |
20 | | represent the diversity of the people of Illinois, and shall |
21 | | be composed of the following:
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22 | | (1) Four members appointed by the Senate President, |
23 | | with at least 2 youth.
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24 | | (2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of |
25 | | the Senate, with at least one youth.
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1 | | (3) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House |
2 | | of Representatives, with at least 2 youth.
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3 | | (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of |
4 | | the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with at least |
5 | | one youth.
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6 | | (5) One State Representative appointed by the Speaker |
7 | | of the House of Representatives. |
8 | | (6) One State Representative appointed by the Minority |
9 | | Leader of the House of
Representatives. |
10 | | (7) One State Senator appointed by the President of |
11 | | the Senate. |
12 | | (8) One State Senator appointed by the Minority Leader |
13 | | of the Senate. |
14 | | (9) Four members appointed by the Governor, with at |
15 | | least 2 youth. |
16 | | (b) Appointments for the working group shall be made on or |
17 | | before August 31, 2022.
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18 | | (c) Members shall serve without compensation.
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19 | | (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide |
20 | | administrative support to the working group.
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21 | | Section 20. Report; dissolution. The working group shall |
22 | | issue a report based upon its findings. The report shall be |
23 | | submitted to the Governor and General Assembly no later than |
24 | | July 1, 2023. |