The measure seeks to protect abortion patients in Illinois from out-of-state retaliation.
The first measure, House Bill 5295, is an initiative from the governor’s office and would create the Reproductive Health Privacy Act. It would require the separation of information about abortion services or diagnoses of gender dysphoria from a patient’s digital medical records if a patient chooses.
Access to those records would be restricted for out-of-state entities and could only be shared in certain circumstances and with a patient’s consent. The information would not be deleted, only shielded.
Senate lawmakers on Saturday passed the bill with a vote of 38-19. The House passed the bill Sunday with a vote of 73-39.
Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that he looks forward to signing the bill “to fortify the protections around choice and consent, and that anyone receiving safe, legal abortion care here will not be criminalized.”
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