Bill
HB 2517
Starting July 1, 2026, those renewing licenses who provide maternal care must include maternal-risk and disparity content in their one-hour implicit bias training.
Summary
- Public Act 104-0061 amends Illinois law governing implicit bias awareness training for health care professionals licensed or registered through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR). The change requires that, beginning July 1, 2026, health care professionals who report that they provide maternal health care services include specific maternal-risk and disparity content in their required one‑hour implicit bias continuing-education training. The Act is effective January 1, 2026.
Purpose and intent
- To reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal outcomes by ensuring implicit-bias training for clinicians who provide prenatal or postnatal care addresses maternal health risk factors experienced by marginalized racial or ethnic groups with increased maternal mortality rates.
Key provisions
- Continued one-hour implicit bias requirement: For license or registration renewals on or after January 1, 2023, any health care professional with continuing education obligations must complete at least one hour of implicit bias awareness training per renewal period (existing requirement retained).
- Maternal-specific content (new requirement for some providers): On and after July 1, 2026, health care professionals who report to the Department that they provide “maternal health care services” and are renewing a license/registration must ensure that the one-hour implicit bias course includes training on potential maternal health risk factors associated with childbearing individuals from marginalized racial or ethnic groups with increased maternal mortality rates.
- CE credit and cross-counting: The one-hour may count toward the licensee’s minimum continuing education hours. Training satisfying other state licensure, accreditation, certification, or institutional practice agreement requirements may be applied to meet this one‑hour obligation.
- Rulemaking: The Department may adopt rules to implement the Section.
Definitions (selected)
- “Health care professional”: Persons licensed/registered under a broad list of DFPR Acts (Medical Practice Act, Nurse Practice Act, Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, Dental, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Social Work, Midwifery-related acts, and many others listed in the statute).
- “Maternal health care services”: Prenatal care or postnatal care.
- “Postnatal care”: An office visit for post-pregnancy care occurring within 12 months after a person has given birth.
Who is affected
- Licensed and registered health care professionals under DFPR who have continuing education requirements; in particular, those who report they provide prenatal or postnatal care will be required to include maternal‑specific implicit bias content starting July 1, 2026.
Timeline / Effective dates
- One-hour implicit bias CE per renewal: applicable for renewals on or after January 1, 2023 (pre-existing).
- Maternal‑specific training requirement for providers who report providing maternal services: applies on and after July 1, 2026.
- Act effective date: January 1, 2026 (Public Act 104-0061).
Notes
- Earlier bill drafts proposed a Department of Public Health professional development course focused on racial disparities in maternal health; the enrolled Public Act integrates the policy into the DFPR implicit-bias CE requirement rather than creating a separate DPH course.
- The statute allows implementation details to be set out in administrative rules by the Department.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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