Springfield | The spring session of the Illinois General Assembly passed multiple bills that conflict with the biblical values of Illinois Baptists. Some were signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in late June:
– HB 4834, the Prescription Monitoring Program, removed testosterone, estrogen, mifepristone and misoprostol from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program. The law was hailed as a victory by both LGBTQ and abortion advocates and took effect immediately.
– HB 5492, the Pharmacy Practice Act, requires insurance companies to provide coverage for six months of prescribed hormone therapy. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
– HB 5095, ID Card-Gender Designation, enshrines gender markers on state IDs and driver’s licenses into law, allowing individuals to identify as “male,” “female” or “X.” It takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
– HB 5295 The Reproductive Health Privacy Act – Restricts or “shields” access to the records of women who’ve had an abortion(s) in Illinois to out-of-state entities. Advocates for the law claim it will protect patients from possible physician retaliation in states where abortion is illegal. Patients may choose to grant access to that information to their healthcare providers. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2027.