Pritzker signs 75 new laws; drug discount program audit, new ICE facility ban

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced late Friday he signed more than 75 bills from the Illinois General Assembly’s spring legislative session into law. 

Among those signed are HB 2371, the Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act, and HB 4327. The former puts in place new guardrails on the federal 340B drug program, while the latter requires the Illinois Department of Insurance to study the federal 340B drug program to determine if and how it is working in Illinois.

The Federal 340B program includes agreements between drug manufacturers that take part in Medicaid to provide discounts to participating clinics and hospitals, often rural, which in-turn are expected to use savings to reduce costs for patients and provide charity healthcare.

As for how hospitals are able to provide their end of the program, some say participating care centers typically charge a patient’s insurance the market-rate of a prescription drug they bought at a discount – leading to a wider profit margin.

“Across the country and here in Illinois, 340B is driving up costs for patients, taxpayers and employers instead of ensuring that these savings reach those who need them most. PhRMA will continue working with policymakers to advance solutions that protect patients,” read a statement from Will May, senior director of public affairs for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

The bill requiring transparency on how revenue is used by healthcare providers was sponsored by state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Oak Park.

“The goal is to provide policymakers with a clearer understanding of program operations, existing gaps and challenges, areas where improvements are needed,” Lilly said during a House hearing in May. “This legislation is about accountability, transparency, and protecting access to health care for Illinois' most vulnerable residents.”

HB 5090, the Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act, will allow many Illinois-based drivers for apps like Uber and Lyft to unionize.

State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, brought the legislation in the Senate after many of his constituents who work as drivers shared issues of unwarranted deactivation, poor pay and difficult or dangerous working conditions.

“I represent a district that actually has the most number of ride share drivers out of any Senate district in the state, so this was truly an issue that came to me from constituents that were facing challenges with the wages and the vehicle costs and working conditions,” Villivalam said.

According to the Illinois Drivers Alliance, the measure will give nearly 100,000 regularly-working drivers the ability to be covered under collective bargaining.

HB 5024, which prevents the construction of new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers in certain places, was also signed by Pritzker. 

The law prevents new immigrant detention facilities from being built within 1500 feet of a variety of places common in urban environments, but doesn’t ban them outright.

All three bills took effect immediately after signing.