As COVID-19 Emergency Ends, New Illinois Law Extends Some Measures

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday signed into law a bill allowing healthcare workers who have been issued temporary out-of-state licenses to keep working in Illinois after the end of coronavirus-related emergency declarations, which are scheduled to lapse on May 11.

Sponsored by State Rep. Bob Morgan, a Deerfield resident with district offices in Highwood, the bill also allows registered pharmacy technicians and student pharmacists to continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots.

Morgan said the coronavirus will not disappear after state and federal emergency declarations may expire. The state's shortage of healthcare workers, he said, would be worse if state officials had not implemented any pandemic-related emergency measures.

“Healthcare workers went above and beyond — both in professionalism and selfless courage—to confront the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic which has upended our society for the last three years,” Morgan said in a statement. “As emergency measures will soon expire, this bill codifies some of the best reforms to our healthcare delivery in hospitals, healthcare facilities and pharmacies, and reinforces our over-stretched healthcare workforce with temporary healthcare professionals."

Morgan's bill — House Bill 559 or the Health Care Workforce Reinforcement Act —, passed unanimously through both houses this month to become the first new legislation of the 103rd General Assembly.

The law allows licensed doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, counselors and others who were issued temporary out-of-state permits or temporary reinstatement permits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to keep practicing under those permits until they receive their licenses or until May 11, 2024, whichever comes first.

They have until May 11, 2023, to must submit application for licensure or restoration, and if they do not and do not receive an extension, their temporary permits will expire.

The bill also includes more than a dozen pandemic-related exceptions for legislative requirements for state agencies. If the governor has declared a statewide public health emergency, state public health officials are only required to carry out various legal requirements "to the extent feasible."

The bill was supported by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the Illinois Pharmacy Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, the National Association of Social Workers and the Health Care Council of Illinois.

It takes effect immediately.

Allowing the temporary public health measures to lapse would "risk severe disruption to our healthcare workforce and healthcare as we know it,” Morgan said.

“That’s why we must recognize the heroic labors and sacrifices of these dedicated frontline healthcare workers," he said, "as they continue to care for the most medically vulnerable residents of our state.”