SPRINGFIELD, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced several new laws set to become effective as of the new year.

Among them is SB1950, which is the Medical Aid In Dying law. It will become effective in September. This law provides options for qualified terminally ill patients to request end-of-life medication and peacefully end their own life in consultation with a physician. If a patient elects the end-of-life option as outline in the act, doctors must submit information to IDPH within 60 days of the patient’s death. The information is considered to be confidential, privileged, and not discoverable in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other proceeding.

HB2517 requires health care professionals who provide maternal health services to complete a one-hour training course on implicit bias awareness as a condition of license renewal. The law seeks to address ongoing concerns about historic disparities in maternal health care impacting racial and ethnic groups with increased maternal mortality rates.

HB3645 authorizes the transmission of limited information regarding suspected overdoses report by first responders covered under the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act. Under that measure, IDPH will submit the information to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program which will help state and local public health officials track and respond to overdose events, support timely interventions, effective use of resources, and overdose prevention efforts.