SB2251 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 15360 RAM 20720 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB2251

Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. Sue Rezin

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 2805/2.01c

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Defines "outbreak". Provides that if a Veterans Home administrator or a member of the administrative staff is notified that an outbreak has occurred, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Public Health shall conduct an onsite visit to assess the status of the spread and determine if any additional actions can be taken to lessen exposure to the disease. Provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs and Department of Public Health are to conduct the site visit as soon as practical, but in no event shall the visit be delayed later than the end of the next business day. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to post specific information on its website upon conducting a site visit.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning veterans.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Veterans' Affairs Act is amended by changing Section 2.01c as follows:

(20 ILCS 2805/2.01c)

Sec. 2.01c. Veterans Home; notice of infectious disease.

(a) As used in this Section, "infectious disease" means any disease caused by a living organism or other pathogen, including a fungus, bacteria, parasite, protozoan, prion, or virus, that has a history of or potential for a significant mortality rate among elderly or vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, strains of influenza, Legionnaires' disease, coronavirus and pneumonia.

(a-1) As used in this Section, "outbreak" means 2 or more individuals, employees, staff, or residents living within or employed by the Veterans Home contracting an infectious disease within 48 hours of the first diagnosis.

(b) If a Veterans Home administrator or a member of the administrative staff is notified that, within one month or less, 2 or more persons residing within the Veterans Home are diagnosed with an infectious disease by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches; a hospital licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act; a long-term care facility licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act; a freestanding emergency center licensed under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act; a local health department; or any other State agency or government entity, then, within 24 hours after the facility is notified of the second diagnosis, the Veterans Home must:

(1) provide a written notification of the incidence of the infectious disease to each resident of the facility and the resident's emergency contact or next of kin;

(2) post a notification of the incidence of the infectious disease in a conspicuous place near the main entrance to the Veterans Home; and

(3) provide a written notification to the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Public Health of the incidence of the infectious disease and of compliance with the written notification requirements of paragraph (1).

In addition to the initial written notifications, the Veterans Home must provide written notifications of any updates on the incidence of the infectious disease and any options that are available to the residents.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Public Health must post the notification of the incidence of the infectious disease, any updates, and any options that are available to the residents on their websites as soon as practicable after receiving the notification, but in no event shall the notice be posted later than the end of the next business day.

(c) If a Veterans Home administrator or a member of the administrative staff is notified that an outbreak has occurred, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Public Health shall conduct an onsite visit to assess the status of the spread and determine if any additional actions can be taken to lessen exposure to the disease. The Department of Veterans' Affairs and Department of Public Health are to conduct the visit as soon as practical, but in no event shall the visit be delayed later than the end of the next business day.

Upon conducting the site visit, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall post on its website:

(i) the findings of the onsite inspection;

(ii) the corrections needed to fix any disparities or discrepancies in procedure found;

(iii) the date or dates of the next onsite inspection to determine if the appropriate actions and visit recommendations have been taken; and

(iv) any and all initial and follow-up reports from the initial site visit.

(Source: P.A. 100-632, eff. 7-27-18.)