Chicago City Wire

Kelly M. Cassidy introduced HB2589 in the Illinois House on Feb. 4, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act. Provides that, upon request, a pharmacist shall (rather than may) sell up to 100 sterile hypodermic syringes or needles to a person who is at least 18 years of age. Provides that a syringe or needle sold at a pharmacy shall (rather than may) be sold only from the pharmacy department of the pharmacy."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act, allowing pharmacists to sell up to 100 sterile hypodermic syringes or needles to individuals aged 18 or older. Under these provisions, the syringes or needles must be stored securely within the pharmacy, limiting access exclusively to pharmacists and designated persons. The sales can only occur within the pharmacy's designated department. Additionally, pharmacists are required to utilize their professional and clinical judgment to sell sterile hypodermic syringes or needles when necessary for the proper administration of medications, including offering counseling or referrals to appropriate healthcare services.

Kelly M. Cassidy has proposed another six bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Kelly M. Cassidy is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 14th House District. She replaced previous state representative Harry Osterman in 2011.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB2589	02/04/2025	Amends the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act. Provides that, upon request, a pharmacist shall (rather than may) sell up to 100 sterile hypodermic syringes or needles to a person who is at least 18 years of age. Provides that a syringe or needle sold at a pharmacy shall (rather than may) be sold only from the pharmacy department of the pharmacy.
HB2584	02/04/2025	Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that a health insurance issuer, the fee-for-service medical assistance program, and a Medicaid managed care organization may not require prior authorization for the following prescription drug types and their therapeutic equivalents approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration: human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis medication or human immunodeficiency virus treatment medication. Effective January 1, 2027.
HB2507	02/03/2025	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2026, and each calendar year thereafter, a nursing facility must spend at least 90% of its adjusted total revenue on resident care and other resident-related costs, as defined. Requires each nursing facility to provide as part of its financial reporting information necessary for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to administer and enforce the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that such information shall be subject to audit provisions and comply with any applicable uniform standards under the Code. Provides that all non-allowable costs, related party adjustments, or compensation to owners reported shall be excluded from the calculation of the amount spent on resident care and other resident-related costs. Requires 25% of costs associated with contract nursing staff to be deducted from the amount spent on resident care and other resident-related costs. Provides that for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2027, and each calendar year thereafter, the Department shall use the required financial reporting submissions to determine whether each nursing facility has met the minimum resident care percent requirement. Provides that if a facility has not met the minimum resident care percent requirement, the amount defined by the facility's total adjusted revenue shall be treated as a vendor overpayment. Requires the Department to recover the full amount of any vendor overpayment by reducing future payments, requiring direct payment to the Department, or any other method permitted under the Code. Requires the Department to adopt rules.
HB2374	01/31/2025	Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. Defines "acute sexual assault" as a sexual assault that has recently occurred within a specified time. Replaces various references to "sexual assault" with "acute sexual assault". Deletes the definition of "prepubescent sexual assault survivor". Changes provisions regarding hospitals located in counties with a population of less than 1,000,000 and within a 20-mile radius of a 4-year public university with respect to a sexual assault treatment plan approved by the Department of Public Health. Makes changes in various provisions concerning plans of correction and penalties for hospitals that commit specified violations of the Act. In provisions regarding requirements for medical forensic services, provides that the provisions of the Act are not intended to prohibit a qualified medical provider from offering an Illinois Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit to a sexual assault survivor who presents at a treatment hospital or approved pediatric health care facility with a nonacute complaint of sexual assault if there is a compelling reason for evidence collection, or upon the request of the survivor. In provisions regarding the prohibition on billing sexual assault survivors directly for certain services, changes references to the Office of the Attorney General to references to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
HB1835	01/28/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 and the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that certain offenses for which the use of a firearm requires the court to add 15 years, 20 years, or 25 years or up to a term of natural life to the sentence, makes the additional sentences discretionary with the court. Deletes provisions that permit the court in those cases to impose a term of natural life imprisonment upon the defendant. Provides that the court may impose the additional sentences only if the defendant was personally armed with the firearm and was personally displaying the firearm. Provides that the penalty for aggravated criminal sexual assault in which the defendant personally discharged the firearm in the commission of the offense is a Class X felony for which up to 20 years may (rather than 20 years shall) be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court and up to 25 years may be added (rather than 25 years or up to a term of natural life imprisonment shall be added) to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court if the discharge proximately caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death to another person; Provides that the penalty for home invasion is a Class X felony for which up to 20 years may (rather than 20 years shall) be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court if the defendant personally discharged a firearm during the commission of the offense.
HB1715	01/24/2025	Amends the Department of Children and Family Services Powers Law. Repeals a provision that grants the Department of Children and Family Services the power to appoint members of a police and security force to act as peace officers and have all powers possessed by police officers in cities and sheriffs under certain circumstances. Effective immediately.
HB1302	01/13/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes a provision that timely notice to a retail mercantile establishment that is a victim of retail theft, organized retail crime, financial institution fraud, or looting shall include 7 days' notice of any court proceedings. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that a law enforcement officer may not refuse to complete a written report as required by the Protective Orders Article of the Code on any ground. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall not discourage or attempt to discourage a victim from filing a police report concerning an incident of abuse. Provides for the vacation of a conviction (rather than only prostitution convictions) if the defendant was a victim of human trafficking. Provides that the determination of the motion shall be by a preponderance of the evidence. Provides that evidence demonstrating the defendant's status as a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense shall create a rebuttable presumption that the defendant was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. Provides that evidence demonstrating the defendant's status as a victim of trafficking at the time of the offense shall create a rebuttable presumption that the defendant was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. Provides that, regardless of whether the court grants a motion to vacate the sentence, it may permit the defendant to file an expedited petition for expungement or sealing under the Criminal Identification Act to be heard whenever possible before the same judge to whom the motion to vacate his or her conviction was presented upon 30 days' notice to those entitled to notification of expungement or sealing proceedings. Amends the Sexual Assault Incident Procedure Act. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall not discourage or attempt to discourage a victim from filing a police report concerning sexual assault or sexual abuse. Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 to make conforming changes.