Author: Carmen Howard

State: Happy New Year!  There are several new laws for 2023.  Here is an NBC5 Chicago article about the new Illinois laws and a listing from Illinois Legal Aid Online.  

State: The soon-to-be Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias, has announced a temporary website. He is using this site to keep us informed of his plans as he gets ready to take office on January 9. He is also asking for input from us. You can “Share Your Ideas with Alexi” by visiting here.

Federal **Primarily related to school librarians, but may be of interest to all. Right to Read Act (S. 5064; H.R. 9056) introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-03) Information about the Right To Read Act: ALA applauds new school library legislation to widen access for students nationwide (ALA News, 10/6/2022) Right…

Federal – October is National Medical Librarian’s Month (NMLM)! Learn more about the 2022 theme, “Make Better Decisions Faster: Consult Your Health Information Professional” at the MLAConnect website, download the 2022 graphic to post in your library, and find email signatures you can incorporate into every message you send! U.S. House of Representatives passes the…

Federal What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (passed in the Senate on 8/7/2022) (The Hill, 8/8/22): Health Care: Medicare can negotiate lower prices Drug costs can be capped but largely only for Medicare People enrolled in ACA plans get an extension on premium assistance. H.R.8351: Formula Act. Became public law 7/21/2022. Provides duty-free…

Federal H.R.1667 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (became Public Law No: 117-105 (03/18/2022) This bill establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among health care providers. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award grants to hospitals, medical professional associations, and…

Federal Supreme Court blocks vaccine-or-mask mandate for larger employers (Roll Call, Jan. 13, 2022) Unspent funds color debate over additional pandemic relief (Roll Call, Jan. 28, 2022) New ban on surprise medical bills starts today (New York Times via the CDC Public Health Law News, January 2022) [See also: H.R. 133, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,…

Federal News – Health Care industry seeks surprise billing changes this month (Roll Call, 12/8/2021) Senate passes resolution to end COVID-19 shots-or-test rule (Roll Call, 12/9/2021)   State News – Two new opposing COVID-19 expenses bills filed with the Illinois state legislature: by State Rep. Carroll – HB4259 INS CODE – HEALTH CARE EXPENSES or…

Federal News Student Nurses Who Refuse Vaccination Struggle to Complete Degrees (Kaiser Health News, 10/4/2021) FDA guidance calls for voluntary salt reduction in food supply (The Hill, 10/13/21) Bills passed: SB1828: HAVANA Act of 2021 Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act of 2021 [became Public Law No. 117-46 on 10/8/2021] Specifically authorizes the…

Federal News Biden administration releases $25B in COVID-19 relief for providers (The Hill, 9/10/2021) Biden administration reveals its roadmap for lowering drug prices (Kaiser Health News Morning Briefing, 09/10/2021)   Illinois News Today we are highlighting a resource for legislative news – The Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) – Legislative Advocacy website.  “The Illinois State…