Good morning ACMHAI,

Your weekly update of important mental health bills that the ACMHAI Legislative Committee voted to support at our last meeting that are being heard in committee and/or subject matter hearings this week in Springfield. ACMHAI will be slipping on behalf of the association based on our agreed upon positions. We are sending this email to keep you in the loop just in case you are interested in filing a witness slip on behalf of yourself or your organization. Please follow the links provided below and check “proponent” and “record of appearance only” on the form to which the link will take you. The bills are described (very briefly) below and in greater detail on the legislative website.  www.ilga.gov Thanks!

• HB4275, Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that upon the filing of a petition by a reputable person or by the alleged person with a disability himself or on its own motion, the court may adjudge a person to be a person with a disability, but only if it has been demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the person is a person with a disability and the person cannot be supported through a supported decision-making agreement.  SLIP HERE
• HB4472, Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products.  SLIP HERE
• HB4475, Strengthens the MH/SUD Parity Act. SLIP HERE
• HB4665, Creates within the Department of Human Services a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Professional Support Grant Program to provide grants to mental health facilities and substance use disorder treatment programs. Creates the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Professional Support Grant Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that money in the Fund shall be used by the Secretary of the Department to make grants to eligible mental health facilities and substance use disorder treatment programs. SLIP HERE
• HB4706, Provides that substance abuse programs and mental health or developmental disabilities facilities operating in the State shall provide verbal notice to the personal representative of the patient within 24 hours after the death of a patient and shall provide written notice to the personal representative of the patient within 5 days after the death of a patient. SLIP HERE
• HB4922, Amends the School Code. Provides that on or before October 1, 2024, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team, the Office of the Governor, and relevant stakeholders as needed shall release a strategy that includes a tool for measuring capacity and readiness to implement universal mental health screening of students. SLIP HERE
• HB5094, Establishes the Behavioral Health Administrative Burden Work Group within the Office of the Chief Behavioral Health Officer. Sets forth membership and responsibilities of the Work Group, including to review policies and regulations affecting the behavioral health industry to identify inefficiencies, duplicate or unnecessary requirements, unduly burdensome restrictions, and other administrative barriers that prevent behavioral health professionals from providing services and to analyze the impact of administrative burdensome the delivery of quality care and access to behavioral health services. SLIP HERE
• HB5377, Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. SLIP HERE



For those needing more information on how to submit a witness slip, please click here to view the ACMHAI tutorial.