SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced a proposal out of the Senate Saturday that would implement stricter, mandatory reporting requirements when a patient or client experiences sexual abuse or misconduct perpetrated by a licensed health care professional.
“When a patient or client is assaulted or exploited by the health care professional they entrusted with their safety, it causes severe distress and emotional damage,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Health care professionals take an oath to do no harm, so if they break that oath by violating someone in a vulnerable position, they must be met with full accountability for their actions and blocked from causing more harm.”
Villanueva’s measure comes in response to a series of investigative reports, which uncovered serious misconduct and abuse in Illinois’ health care system. The investigation identified 52 health care workers accused of sexual misconduct who were allowed to continue working at their respective hospitals and facilities.
House Bill 3711 would mandate hospitals and health care professionals licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to report any sexual or sexual-adjacent misconduct by a health care professional against a patient. Reasonably reportable misconduct would include sexual assault and harassment, as well as behavior such as offering to provide professional services to a patient or client in exchange for sexual favors or using the professional-patient or professional-client relationship to solicit a romantic or sexual relationship.
The measure would also create a mandated reporting process requiring reporting to IDFPR within 24 hours of a facility’s management learning of misconduct. Failure to report would be grounds for disciplinary action, including up to a $10,000 fine for the first violation, up to $15,000 for the second violation and up to $25,000 for the third or any subsequent violations.
“By implementing this form of early reporting, we are empowering IDFPR to engage in their standard investigation process sooner, ensuring any violations are examined carefully and any bad actors are prevented from causing further harm and abuse,” added Villanueva.
House Bill 3711 passed the Senate Saturday and heads to the House for concurrence.
