HLTH FACILITY-LANGUAGE ASSIST House SponsorsRep. Elizabeth Hernandez-William Davis-Mary E. Flowers, Elizabeth Coulson, Patricia R. Bellock, Sandy Cole, Cynthia Soto, Edward J. Acevedo and Richard T. Bradley Senate Sponsors(Sen. William Delgado-Antonio Munoz) 1/13/2009HouseSession Sine Die 210 ILCS 87/15 Amends the Language Assistance Act. Makes changes in the list of things a health facility must do to ensure access to health care information and services for limited-English-speaking or non-English-speaking residents and deaf residents. Provides that a facility must do all (instead of one or more) of the following: (1) adopt and review annually a policy for providing language assistance services to patients with language or communication barriers; (2) develop and post notices that advise patients and their families of the availability of interpreters; and (3) notify the facility's employees of the language services available at the facility and train them on how to make these language services available to patients. Provides that, in addition, a facility may do one or more of the following: (i) review existing policies regarding interpreters; (ii) adopt a policy for language assistance services that includes certain procedures; (iii) identify and record a patient's primary language and dialect; (iv) prepare a list of interpreters; (v) review standardized forms and other materials; (vi) consider providing its nonbilingual staff with standardized picture and phrase sheets; and (vii) develop community liaison groups. Effective immediately.House Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with similar provisions amending the Language Assistance Act but with changes that include the following: (1) restores provisions of current law stating that a health facility must adopt and review annually a policy for providing language assistance services and that the policy must include certain items (deletes an amendatory provision that a facility may adopt such a policy); (2) requires that notices of the availability of interpreters list the languages "most commonly encountered at the facility" for which interpreter services are available; and (3) eliminates a provision that a facility may review existing policies regarding interpreters. Effective immediately. 2/8/2007HouseFiled with the Clerk by Rep. William Davis 2/8/2007HouseFirst Reading 2/8/2007HouseReferred to Rules Committee 2/15/2007HouseAssigned to Human Services Committee 2/22/2007HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary E. Flowers 3/1/2007HouseChief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez 3/1/2007HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. William Davis 3/21/2007HouseHouse Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Human Services Committee 3/21/2007HouseHouse Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Human Services Committee; by Voice Vote 3/21/2007HouseDo Pass as Amended / Short Debate Human Services Committee; 009-000-000 3/21/2007HousePlaced on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate 3/21/2007HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Coulson 3/21/2007HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock 3/21/2007HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Sandy Cole 3/21/2007HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Cynthia Soto 3/21/2007HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Edward J. Acevedo 3/27/2007HouseSecond Reading - Short Debate 3/27/2007HousePlaced on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate 4/24/2007HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Richard T. Bradley 4/24/2007HouseThird Reading - Short Debate - Passed 114-000-000 4/25/2007SenateArrive in Senate 4/25/2007SenatePlaced on Calendar Order of First Reading April 26, 2007 4/25/2007SenateChief Senate Sponsor Sen. William Delgado 4/25/2007SenateFirst Reading 4/25/2007SenateReferred to Rules 4/27/2007SenateAdded as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Antonio Munoz 5/2/2007SenateAssigned to Public Health 5/7/2007SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. William Delgado 5/7/2007SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules 5/8/2007SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Public Health 5/15/2007SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Postponed - Public Health 5/15/2007SenatePostponed - Public Health 5/15/2007SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Rules 5/15/2007SenateRule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Rules 5/15/2008SenateRule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 22, 2008; Substantive House Bills Out of Committee 1/13/2009HouseSession Sine Die