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Issues in the General Assembly - May 2017

IAFP Opposes legislation that would license lay midwives

Senate Bill 1754 would allow lay midwives to become licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Currently, only nurse midwives are licensed.
The physician and hospital communities are opposed to this legislation due to safety concerns for the mother and baby. Simply put, lay midwives do not have adequate training to provide medical services.
View our fact sheet here


APNs seek pathway to full independent practice 

Senate Bill 642 would remove the requirement that most advanced practice nurses (APNs) *practicing outside of a hospital or ambulatory surgical treatment center maintain a collaborative agreement with a physician. Essentially, this bill would allow APNs to provide the same level of care as family physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians, and other specialists – completely independent from any physician collaboration!

The legislation would also grant full prescriptive authority for APNs, including Schedule II drugs like opioids and benzodiazepines. IAFP is opposed to this bill. Allowing non-physician practitioners to expand their scope of practice through legislation rather than through education and training is not good public policy for improving access to quality care, particularly for those who suffer from multiple medical conditions. Negotiations are ongoing

*This initiative does not include Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).

Link to a fact sheet here

Network Adequacy & Transparency Act lined up for Senate vote

The Illinois House recently passed the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act (NAT Act) with an overwhelming majority. Now House Bill 311 is under consideration in the Illinois Senate and gaining momentum. A Senate vote could come soon! Read our House Bill 311 fact sheet