Senate Bill 1169 passed both the Illinois House and Senate during the recent veto session in Springfield. CCI opposed this bill, which amends the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act to clarify that the Act does not allow for conscience objections to be raised regarding requirements relating to COVID-19, such as vaccination requirements. CCI argued that the Act is a significant protection of religious freedom in the area of health care and should not be amended in any way. Further, SB 1169 is overly broad and could lead to misinterpretation and abuse of the Act.
Due to procedural rules, the current bill has a delayed effective date of June 1, 2022. We anticipate that the Illinois General Assembly will vote on this issue again in January 2022 to allow for an immediate effective date.