Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

Filed: 10/26/2021

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 370

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 370 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth
5Health and Safety Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings and declaration of policy. The General
7Assembly finds, determines, and declares the following:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
 
5    Section 10. The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working
6Group; duties and responsibilities.
7    (a) The Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working Group is
8created for the purpose of identifying and reviewing laws and
9regulations that impact pregnant and parenting youth and youth
10that may become pregnant or a parent. The working group shall
11identify existing and needed resources for pregnant and
12parenting youth, and youth seeking reproductive healthcare. In
13this Act, "youth" means an individual under 18 years of age.
14    The working group shall prepare and make public a report
15that details available information and makes recommendations
16as necessary.
17    (b) The working group shall identify laws and regulations
18that impact pregnant and parenting youth, or that may impact a
19pregnant or parenting youth, and provide information and
20resources on topics related to healthcare, including, but not
21limited to the following:
22        (1) consent to medical care, including what healthcare
23    and treatments are available, and access to confidential
24    treatment and care;
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;
4        (4) emancipation; and
5        (5) insurance coverage.
6    (c) The working group shall identify and provide
7information and resources that encourage and support open
8communication and conversation between youth and their
9families and other trusted people in their lives, including,
10but not limited to, counseling services, classes and
11workshops, talk and text-lines, online and social media
12options, tools targeted to parents and adults, and tools
13targeted to youth.
14    (d) The working group shall identify and provide
15information and resources for pregnant and parenting youth
16related to education, employment, housing, food access, and
17child care.
 
18    Section 15. Membership; meetings.
19    (a) The members of the working group shall include and
20represent the diversity of the people of Illinois, and shall
21be composed of the following:
22        (1) Four members appointed by the Senate President,
23    with at least 2 youth.
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.
3        (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of
4    the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with at least
5    one youth.
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
17before August 31, 2022.
18    (c) Members shall serve without compensation.
19    (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide
20administrative support to the working group.
 
21    Section 20. Report; dissolution. The working group shall
22issue a report based upon its findings. The report shall be
23submitted to the Governor and General Assembly no later than
24July 1, 2023.
 

 

 

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1    Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
22024.
 
3    Section 90. Public Act 89-18, approved June 1, 1995, as
4amended, is repealed.".