The state’s COVID-19 response and operating budget will unsurprisingly be on the top of the agenda for lawmakers when they return for a socially distanced session this week, according to an email distributed to Illinois House members Tuesday.
Illinois House members received health guidelines and the legislative agenda from Madigan’s chief of staff Tuesday.
The COVID-19 response areas include governmental administration, such as the secretary of state’s ability to extend guidelines, discussion of a recovery advisory group, Freedom of Information Act delays and reworking of an executive order on immunity for health care providers.
Another agenda item is a COVID-19 health care package, discussion of which could touch on increased access to telehealth, allowing behavioral health centers to distribute drugs to mental health and substance abuse patients, as well as a potential study on insurance affordability and a kidney disease task force.
Other agenda items include a hospital assessment program, which generates about $3.5 billion each year in federal funding to hospitals that treat large numbers of Medicaid patients.
