Illinois Compiled Statutes
Chapter 225 - PROFESSIONS, OCCUPATIONS, AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
225 ILCS 140/ - Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act.

(225 ILCS 140/1)
Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/2)
Sec. 2. Definitions. In this Act:
(1) "Disaster relief organization" means an entity that
provides emergency or disaster relief services that include
health or veterinary services provided by volunteer health
practitioners and that:
(2) "Emergency" means an event or condition that is a disaster as defined in Section 4 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
(3) "Emergency declaration" means a declaration of emergency issued by a person authorized to do so under the laws of this State or a disaster proclamation issued by the Governor pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
(4) (Reserved).
(5) "Entity" means a person other than an individual.
(6) "Health facility" means an entity licensed under the laws of this or another state to provide health or veterinary services.
(7) "Health practitioner" means an individual licensed under the laws of this or another state to provide health or veterinary services.
(8) "Health services" means the provision of treatment, care, advice or guidance, or other services, or supplies, related to the health or death of individuals or human populations, to the extent necessary to respond to an emergency, including:
(9) "Host entity" means an entity operating in this State which uses volunteer health practitioners to respond to an emergency, including a healthcare facility, system, clinic or other fixed or mobile location where health care services are provided. A disaster relief organization may also be a host entity under this subsection to the extent that it operates a healthcare facility, system, clinic, or other fixed or mobile location in providing emergency or disaster relief services.
(10) "License" means authorization by a state to engage in health or veterinary services that are unlawful without the authorization.
(11) "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or
governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.
(12) "Scope of practice" means the extent of the authorization to provide health or veterinary services granted to a health practitioner by a license issued to the practitioner in the state in which the principal part of the practitioner's services are rendered, including any conditions imposed by the licensing authority.
(13) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States.
(14) "Veterinary services" means the provision of treatment, care, advice or guidance, or other services, or supplies, related to the health or death of an animal or to animal populations, to the extent necessary to respond to an emergency declaration, including:
(15) "Volunteer health practitioner" means a health practitioner who provides health or veterinary services, whether or not the practitioner receives compensation for those services. The term does not include a practitioner who receives compensation pursuant to an employment or independent contractor relationship existing at the time of the emergency with a host entity or disaster relief organization which requires the practitioner to provide health or veterinary services in this State, unless the practitioner is not a resident of this State and is employed by or an independent contractor of a host entity or disaster relief organization providing services in this State while an emergency declaration is in effect.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/3)
Sec. 3. Applicability to volunteer health practitioners. This Act applies to volunteer health practitioners registered with a registration system that complies with Section 5 and who provide health or veterinary services in this State for a host entity or disaster relief organization while an emergency declaration is in effect.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/4)
Sec. 4. Regulation of services during emergency.
(a) While a disaster proclamation under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act is in effect, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency may limit, restrict, or otherwise
regulate:
(b) An order issued pursuant to subsection (a) may take effect immediately, without prior notice or comment, and is not a rule within the meaning of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
(c) A host entity or disaster relief organization that uses volunteer health practitioners to provide health or veterinary services in this State shall:
(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/5)
Sec. 5. Volunteer Health Practitioner Registration Systems.
(a) To qualify as a volunteer health practitioner registration system, a system must:
(b) While an emergency declaration is in effect, the Illinois Department of Public Health, a person authorized to act on behalf of the Illinois Department of Public Health, or a host entity or disaster relief organization, may confirm whether volunteer health practitioners utilized in this State are registered with a registration system that complies with subsection (a). Confirmation is limited to obtaining identities of the practitioners from the system and determining whether the system indicates that the practitioners are licensed and in good standing.
(c) Upon request of a person in this State authorized under subsection (b), or a similarly authorized person in another state, a registration system located in this State shall notify the person of the identities of volunteer health practitioners and whether the practitioners are licensed and in good standing.
(d) A host entity or disaster relief organization is not required to use the services of a volunteer health practitioner even if the practitioner is registered with a registration
system that indicates that the practitioner is licensed and in good standing.


(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/6)
Sec. 6. Recognition of volunteer health practitioners licensed in other states.
(a) While an emergency declaration is in effect, a volunteer health practitioner, registered with a registration system that complies with Section 5 and licensed and in good standing in the state upon which the practitioner's registration is based, may practice in this State to the extent authorized by this Act as if the practitioner were licensed in this State.
(b) A volunteer health practitioner qualified under subsection (a) is not entitled to the protections of this Act if any license of the practitioner is suspended, revoked, or subject to an agency order limiting or restricting practice privileges, or has been voluntarily terminated under threat of sanction.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/7)
Sec. 7. No effect on credentialing and privileging.
(a) In this Section:
(b) This Act does not affect credentialing or privileging standards of a health facility and does not preclude a health facility from waiving or modifying those standards while an emergency declaration is in effect.


(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/8)
Sec. 8. Provision of volunteer health or veterinary services; administrative sanctions.
(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c), a volunteer health practitioner shall adhere to the scope of practice for a similarly licensed practitioner established by the licensing provisions, practice Acts, or other laws of this State.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), this Act does not authorize a volunteer health practitioner to provide services that are outside the practitioner's scope of practice, even if a similarly licensed practitioner in this State would be permitted to provide the services.
(c) Consistent with the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, or the Illinois Department of Public Health may modify or restrict the health or veterinary services that volunteer health practitioners may provide pursuant to this Act during an emergency. A proclamation under this subsection may take effect immediately, without prior notice or comment, and is not a rule within the meaning of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
(d) A host entity or disaster relief organization may restrict the health or veterinary services that a volunteer health practitioner may provide pursuant to this Act.
(e) A volunteer health practitioner does not engage in unauthorized practice unless the practitioner has reason to know of any limitation, modification, or restriction under this Section or that a similarly licensed practitioner in this State would not be permitted to provide the services. A volunteer health practitioner has reason to know of a limitation, modification, or restriction or that a similarly licensed practitioner in this State would not be permitted to provide a service if:
(f) In addition to the authority granted by law of this State to regulate the conduct of health practitioners, a licensing board or other disciplinary authority in this State:
(g) In determining whether to impose administrative sanctions under subsection (f), a licensing board or other disciplinary authority shall consider the circumstances in which the conduct took place, including any exigent circumstances, and the practitioner's scope of practice, education, training, experience, and specialized skill.


(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/9)
Sec. 9. Relation to other laws.
(a) This Act does not limit rights, privileges, or immunities provided to volunteer health practitioners by laws other than this Act. Except as otherwise provided in subsection
(b), this Act does not affect requirements for the use of health practitioners pursuant to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
(b) The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, pursuant to any mutual aid compacts entered into by this State, may incorporate into the emergency forces of this State volunteer health practitioners who are not officers or employees of this State, a political subdivision of this State, or a municipality or other local government within this State.


(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/10)
Sec. 10. Regulatory authority. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency may adopt rules to implement this Act. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency shall consult with and consider the recommendations of the entity established to coordinate the implementation of any mutual aid compacts entered into by this State and may also consult with and consider rules adopted by similarly empowered agencies in other states to promote uniformity of application of this Act and make the emergency response systems in the various states reasonably compatible.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/11)
Sec. 11. Workers' compensation coverage. A volunteer health practitioner providing health or veterinary services pursuant to this Act may be considered a volunteer in accordance with subsection (k) of Section 10 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act for the purposes of workers' compensation coverage.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)
 
(225 ILCS 140/12)
Sec. 12. Uniformity of application and construction. In applying and construing this Uniform Act, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.

(Source: P.A. 96-983, eff. 1-1-11.)

Structure Illinois Compiled Statutes