State Legislative Agenda
Howard Brown Health’s Advocacy team focuses on initiatives that improve the health and lives of LGBTQ+ communities and other marginalized communities. We work to advance patient access to affirming health care and address social determinants of health. Below is a list of legislative initiatives that we support and information on how to get involved in advocacy!
2025 Legislative Priorities
The Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act
(HB3350 / SB2385)
In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have been attacking the federal 340B program by restricting access to discounted medications at contract pharmacies. At Howard Brown, we use a wide network of contract pharmacies across Chicago to ensure that our patients can access affordable medications no matter where they live. The Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act (HB3350) and (SB2385) would prohibit pharmaceutical manufacturers from denying, prohibiting, conditioning, or otherwise interfering with the acquisition of 340B drugs by covered entities like Howard Brown and our contract pharmacies. This legislation will help to ensure that the medications needed by patients are available at their local pharmacies and safeguard critical 340B savings that we invest in expanding services and programs our patients rely on.
FQHC Rate Increase
(HB3263)
FQHC reimbursement in Illinois lags behind rates paid in our neighboring states. This bill would address that by increasing the Prospective Payment System (PPS) rates for FQHCs by $100,000,000. This is critical to ensuring that health centers in Illinois are able to retain and expand services and workforce to continue to serve our patients.
Strengthening and Protecting Illinois HIV Funding Infrastructure (SPIHFI 3.0)
(HB3628)
There is still a strong need for funding programs that support people living with HIV/AIDS. This bill would provide a $2 million increase in state funding for HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment in the state’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget. It would fully fund the African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund (AAHARF) and protect the current funding of all HIV-related funding in the state budget including but not limited to the Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) initiative, PrEP4Illinois program, and STI testing, treatment, and prevention.
Securing Investments to Prevent & End Homelessness for Illinoisians Living with HIV
Illinois has seen an increase in homelessness and housing insecurity in recent years and people living with HIV are some of the most vulnerable. This bill would give $2.8 million in new state funding for Fiscal Year 2026. This funding, out of the General Revenue Fund, would create 140 additional housing units across Illinois along with supportive services specifically for people living with HIV.
Prior Authorizations Ban for HIV Treatment & Prevention Medications
(HB2584)
This bill, led by our colleagues at AFC, would ban prior authorization in health insurance plans and Medicaid for HIV treatment and prevention medications. Including PrEP, PEP, and HIV treatment medications.
Overdose Prevention Sites Pilot
(HB2929)
This bill, led by our colleagues at AFC, would authorize the creation of one overdose prevention site (OPS) pilot site and connect folks to community support or other existing medical care, treatment, recovery programs and harm reduction services.
The Equality for Every Family Act
(HB2683 / SB2507)
This bill, led by our colleagues at Equality Illinois, declares it public policy in Illinois that a child has the same rights and protections under law to parentage without regard to the marital status, age, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation of their parents, or the circumstances of the child’s birth, including whether the child was born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy.
Keeping Sex Workers Safe Act
(HB3518 / SB2931)
This bill, led by our colleagues at Equality Illinois and the Sex Worker Advisory Group (SWAG), decriminalizes sex work in Illinois. It will also work to expunge past criminal arrest and conviction records directly connected to sex work. It also provides that sex workers, whether employed, contracted, or self-employed, shall be afforded the same rights and protections as other workers under Illinois law, including, but not limited to: (1) minimum wage and hour protections; (2) protection against discrimination, harassment, and unsafe working conditions; (3) access to workers’ compensation and health benefits if applicable; and (4) protection of privacy and freedom from surveillance.
Health Care Transparency Act
(SB1679)
This bill, led by our colleagues at Equality Illinois, would require the Department of Public Health to identify reproductive health care services, LGBTQ health care services, and end-of-life health care services that are or may be subject to denial of care for nonmedical reasons. It will also create and upkeep a database to inform what services are and aren’t available and how to access those that are.
2024 State Legislative Agenda
SB3727
In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have been attacking the federal 340B program by restricting access to discounted medications at contract pharmacies. At Howard Brown, we use a wide network of contract pharmacies across Chicago to ensure that our patients can access affordable medications no matter where they live. The Illinois Patient Access to 340B Pharmacy Protection Act (SB3727) prohibits pharmaceutical manufacturers from prohibiting, restricting, or interfering with a local pharmacy that contracts with a 340B covered entity, including community health centers like Howard Brown, to dispense medications acquired through the 340B program. This legislation will help to ensure that the medications needed by patients are available at their local pharmacies and safeguard critical 340B savings that we invest in expanding services and programs our patients rely on.
HB5051
At Howard Brown, many of our patients have experienced denials of coverage for necessary and life-saving medications due to burdensome and unnecessary prior authorization requirements from insurers. This bill would prohibit health insurance providers from requiring prior authorization for a prescription drug prescribed to a patient by a health care professional for 6 or more consecutive months. It would also prohibit prior authorization requirements for certain specific FDA approved prescription drugs, including insulin, human immunodeficiency virus prevention medication such as PrEP and PEP; human immunodeficiency virus treatment medication; viral hepatitis medication; and hormonal therapy drugs used for gender-affirming care.
SB3384
In 2021, Illinois passed the Comprehensive Personal Health and Safety and Sexual Health Education Act which requires comprehensive sex education that is age, culturally, and developmentally appropriate be taught in schools that offer sex education. Even with this important step, 72% of public-school districts in Illinois self-reported they do not provide any sexual health education to their students. One barrier for public schools in implementing comprehensive sex ed has been lack of funding for training and curriculum development. This bill requests an appropriation of $20 million in the FY25 State Budget as a grantmaking program to support those public-school districts that want to teach comprehensive sex education that is vital to the health and safety of Illinois students. This bill is led by our partners at Equality IL and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action.
HB 4595 / SB 2930
This bill would amend the General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986 to require non-profits that provide $1,000,000 or more in grants each year to release aggregated demographic information of its board of directors and officers. This including race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This is to ensure non-profit boards and leadership are reflective of the populations they serve. This bill is led by our partners at Equality Illinois. Contact your legislator and urge them to support this bill.
HB5667 / SB3809
The Strengthening & Protecting Illinois HIV Funding Infrastructure (SPIHFI) bill would provide a$2 million increase in state funding for HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment in the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. This would include $2.5 million in new funding to launch eight Rapid Start for HIV Treatment pilot sites that establish HIV treatment standards that would connect people with treatment within 7 days of initial diagnosis or within 7 days of referral to HIV medical care. This will help more people get tested for HIV and immediate get them into treatment and connect them with additional social services. This bill is led by our partners at AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
HB5417 / SB3711
The Connection to HIV Testing and Linkage to Care (TLC) Act, HB5417 and SB3711, would enact the following reforms: Mandates at-home HIV and/or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) testing kits be covered by insurers and Medicaid without cost-sharing; creates 8 rapid start pilot sites that would connect people with treatment within 7 days of initial diagnosis or within 7 days of referral to HIV medical care; and ensures that all county jails provide HIV/AIDS education to people who are incarcerated and visitors, as well as link them to HIV testing as mandated by Illinois’ County Jail Act. This bill is led by our partners at AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
HR582 / SR733
Illinois recently passed a bill that requires cultural competency training that includes information on best practices for providing affirming care to people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities as part of continuing medical education for healthcare providers. To further eliminate discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ and people living with HIV (PLWH), this bill would urge the Illinois Supreme Court to adopt a continuing education mandate for LGBTQ+ and HIV cultural competency education for attorneys, judges, and courtroom staff. LGBTQ+ and PLWH are disproportionately incarcerated and have negative experiences when trying to access legal services due to their identities and HIV status. This bill is led by our partners at Equality IL. You can show you support for by reaching out to your legislators and ask them to support these important bills.
HB4924
Updates the Illinois School Code to ensure trans individuals who are candidates for Chicago’s elected school board don’t have to publish their deadnames on their nominating petitions. This requirement is harmful to trans and gender diverse individuals who would be forced to release a deadname or inadvertently out themselves as these names would become public record. This bill is led by our partners at Equality IL.
Howard Brown continues to support the Health Illinois for All campaign to urge for full funding, reopening of enrollment, and expansion of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs that provide Medicaid-like health insurance for undocumented immigrants in IL.
2023 State Legislative Agenda
SB 2427 / HB 2280
This bill requires cultural competency training as part of continuing medical education for healthcare providers. This training shall include information on best practices for providing affirming care to people of all races, people with disabilities, documented or undocumented immigrants, people who are intersex, people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
Take Action: Submit stories about healthcare discrimination here (Eng/Esp)
SB 2032 / HB 1237
This bill creates a committee tasked with developing an action plan for aging equity in Illinois that focuses on removing structure barriers to health equity experienced by older adults in Illinois including older LGBTQ people.
SB 1888 / HB 2298
This bill requests $100 million in funding to address inadequate payment rates for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Illinois. This increase of funding would bring Illinois payment rates in line with neighboring states and allow FQHCs across the state to serve more patients, hire more providers, and increase the types of programs and services offered to patients.
Take Action: Tell your legislators to support this legislation!
SB 1816 / HB 3049
This bill requires reimbursement to federally qualified health centers for services rendered by graduate-level, sub-clinical behavioral health professionals who deliver care under the supervision of a fully licensed behavioral health clinician. This would increase the number of behavioral health encounters eligible for reimbursement at FQHCs and better leverage the existing workforce to address ever-growing need for behavioral health services in the state.
Take Action: Tell your legislators to support this legislation!
HB 1286
This bill would allow public and private entities to implement gender-inclusive multi-occupancy restrooms if they so desire. This bill would help to create safer and more affirming spaces for trans and non-binary people across the state.
SB 1953
This bill appropriates $5 million to create student loan repayment and scholarship programs. This would strengthen the healthcare workforce by providing financial assistance in seeking a career in healthcare and would prioritizes candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
SB 122 / HB 1570
This bill would provide comprehensive and affordable insurance coverage to low-income immigrants ages 19-41 who are excluded from federal Medicaid coverage. Illinois made history in 2020 by becoming the first state to provide Medicaid-like coverage for seniors regardless of immigration status. This bill would help close the remaining coverage gaps, making Illinois the first state to implement universal health coverage for low-income residents regardless of immigration status.
To learn more about how Howard Brown Health contributes to vital advocacy work and has an impact on local, state, and federal policymaking, please visit our Advocacy webpage. To stay up to date with advocacy and policy news like this, sign up for the Center for Education, Research, and Advocacy (ERA)’s newsletter.