Bill
SB 1420
IDPH must adopt rules to require local health departments to publicly announce locally detected Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases (and related tick-borne diseases).
Summary
This bill would add a new section (20 ILCS 2310/2310-735) to the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law (Civil Administrative Code of Illinois) requiring the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to adopt rules that obligate local health departments to make public announcements when positive cases of certain tick-borne diseases are detected within their jurisdiction. The principal disease named in the introduced synopsis is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF); some amendment language also references ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.
Key provisions
- Statutory addition: Creates Section 2310‑735 in the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law (20 ILCS 2310/2310‑735 new).
- Rulemaking directive: Requires IDPH to adopt rules that require each local health department to make public announcements to inform the general public when a positive case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is detected within a county or area under that local health department’s jurisdiction.
- Scope in amendments: Alternate/earlier amendment language explicitly lists Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis as conditions prompting public announcements (text varies between versions).
- Implementation details such as specific timing, announcement format, confidentiality protections, and who must make the announcement are not specified in the statutory text provided and would be subject to IDPH rulemaking.
Who would be affected
- Illinois Department of Public Health: required to adopt implementing rules.
- Local health departments: required to issue public announcements under the rules.
- General public: intended beneficiaries of increased public information about locally detected cases.
- Health care providers and local government agencies: may be involved in identification, reporting, and coordination of announcements.
- Individuals with positive test results: may be affected by public notifications; privacy and confidentiality implications depend on how IDPH and local rules are written.
Procedural status and timeline
- Introduced in the Illinois Senate (Sen. Chapin Rose) in early 2025; recorded as filed 1/31/2025 in some records and other procedural entries show readings, committee referrals, and amendments.
- Legislative actions in the provided materials include committee assignments and histories; current status in the package provided is noted as Rule 19(a) / Re‑referred to Rules Committee.
- The bill directs IDPH to adopt rules but does not include a deadline for the rulemaking in the text supplied.
Notes and considerations
- The text provided mixes different drafts and contains language variations (some drafts mention only RMSF; others add ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis). Final scope will depend on the enacted text or IDPH rules.
- The statutory language delegates implementation details (timing, content of announcements, confidentiality safeguards) to IDPH rulemaking; those rules will determine operational burdens, costs, and privacy protections.
- The packet also contains unrelated legislative language from other jurisdictions/versions (including Arizona provisions about green cleaning and energy efficiency). Consult the official bill text from the Illinois General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate for the authoritative final version.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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