Springfield | Illinois lawmakers rushed to meet the 2024 spring session filing deadline submitting bills that would make parents guilty of child abuse for denying their minor children gender modification treatment and abortions, and one would legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Another would provide tax credits to health care providers and public-school teachers who move to the state from one with laws deemed more “restrictive” to their profession by the standards of Illinois state law.
Define trans treatment denial as child abuse. House Bill 4876, would amend the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to provide “that ‘abused child’ means a child whose parent or immediate family member, or any person responsible for the child’s welfare… denies the child access to necessary medical care, including, but not limited to, primary care services, abortion services, or gender-affirming services.”
The Abortion/Gender-Affirming Care bill was introduced by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D) and was referred to the House Rules Committee.
Legalize assisted suicide. SB 3499, the End-of-Life Options Act, would authorize a “qualified” patient with a terminal disease to request a physician prescribe life-ending medication. The act would become effective six months after becoming law.
It is co-sponsored by Sen. Linda Holmes (D) and Sen. Laura Fine (D) and was referred to the Senate Assignments Committee.
Tax credits for abortion supporters. HB 5152 would amend the Illinois Income Tax Act to provide a $500 tax credit to a healthcare provider who moves from a state “with more restrictive abortion laws or more restrictive laws concerning the access to lawful health care, or (iii) is a qualified cohabitant of a person” to Illinois. It would also provide a $500 tax credit to a public-school teacher or “qualifying cohabitants of public-school teachers who permanently relocate to the State from any other State as a result of content-based restrictions on educational materials imposed by the taxpayer’s state of origin.”
The bill was submitted by Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D) and referred to the House Rules Committee.
The deadline to submit new legislation was Friday, February 9.