State Legislative Agenda
ERA’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!
2023 State Legislative Agenda
Healthcare Cultural Competency Bill
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.
Aging Equity Act
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.
Strengthen Healthcare Access in Illinois’ Underserved Communities
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!
Strengthen Behavioral Health Services at Community Health Centers
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!
Equitable Restrooms – Gender Neutral Bathrooms
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.
Equity and Representation in Healthcare Act funding
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.
Healthy Illinois for All
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.