In its first major votes of the 102nd General Assembly, the Illinois House Thursday passed measures that attempt to address health care disparities faced by Black and other minority communities, and that protect renters in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today was a phenomenal day for the Illinois House. When we adopted rules for remote legislating, we promised to get to work quickly and diligently—and that’s exactly what we did today. I thank all of my Reps. Lilly, Ramirez and Stuart for getting these critical pieces of legislation across the finish line. This is just the beginning of our work to deliver for Illinois residents and I look forward to collaborating with our counterparts in the Senate,” said Speaker Chris Welch (D-Westchester) in a statement.
HB158 (Lilly), dubbed the “Health Care and Human Service Reform Act” by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, would implement several reforms aimed at addressing medical disparities. Notably it implements a hospital closure moratorium until Dec. 31, 2023. Multiple Black legislators have recently advocated for measures that would prevent the closure of Mercy Hospital in Chicago, which has entered bankruptcy but serves many in poverty in the city’s south side.
The bill also creates an anti-racism commission that will create policy recommendations related to racial equity, requires implicit bias training for medical professionals, and allows Medicaid reimbursement for doulas working with pregnant and post-partum women. Republicans opposed the bill, raising questions over the costs of its provisions. It ultimately passed 72 to 41.
In a similar move, the House also approved SB168 (Ellman), which was passed in order to allow the sale and re-opening of Westlake Hospital, a safety net hospital in Melrose Park that was purchase by private equity firm Pipeline Health in 2019 before being promptly closed. The site was later re-opened as an overflow site for COVID-19 patients.
“As we all look to rebuild from a pandemic that hit historically underserved communities hardest, it’s fitting that we take this step to expedite the sale and reopening of Westlake Hospital. The past year has underscored the need for equitable health care access for all – so reopening Westlake and reinvesting in health care for underserved Black and Brown communities is an essential step toward emerging from these difficult times stronger,” Welch said in a statement.
HB2877 (Ramirez) was also passed, which would temporarily halt foreclosures for both renters and small landlords in the state. Notably, it also codifies programs set up by the federal government to help renters and homeowners during the pandemic, especially those who face an eviction notice. It would also implement several other renter protections, such as stopping tenant screenings from accessing sealed eviction court records. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) previously introduced a version of this bill during the previous lame duck session as 101-HB5574.
The House also passed HB1871 (Stuart), would make permanent expansion of vote-by-mail, curbside voting, and drop box voting that were made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill also passed along party lines, with Republicans expressing concerns about the security of ballot drop boxes and where additional boxes may be placed.
These measures now head to the Illinois Senate for consideration.
The House also passed a resolution condemning the actions of Rep. Chris Miller (R-Robinson) for attending and participating in the Jan. 6 rally in Washington D.C. that preceded the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building. Miller defended himself on the floor, saying he had no part in the day’s violence. HR132 (Morgan) was adopted along party lines 57 to 36, with five members of the House Ethics Committee voting present.
Allison F. Richard
Legislative Consultant
