Gov. Pritzker pledges to sign Illinois abortion, sex-change record-privacy bill passed in final hour of session

Illinois Democrats used the final hours of the legislative session to shield abortion records and restrict foster care parental rights, even as a taxpayer-funded abortion expansion collapsed at the finish line.

The so-called “Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act” passed both houses, blocking electronic networks from automatically sharing medical records across state lines. Unless a patient gives explicit permission, health networks are now forbidden from sharing data regarding abortions and gender dysphoria diagnoses with out-of-state entities.

Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander warned the act jeopardizes patient safety.

“Separating abortion-related records from a woman’s broader medical history means that doctors will be making decisions without the complete picture, putting women at risk of receiving inappropriate or inadequate care,” Zander said.

The Illinois Hospital Association opposed the mandate, arguing current medical technology can’t meet the tracking demands the bill requires.

“The same activists who insist abortion is healthcare have now pushed legislation that makes healthcare less informed and less safe for women,” Zander said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said out-of-state entities have attempted to use the data to punish women seeking abortions.

“The Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act is the most recent action Illinois is taking to ensure that patients retain full control over their private health information,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker has already said he intends to sign the bill, though a formal signing date hasn’t been set.

Shielding medical records, bypassing parental rights

House Bill 4834 also passed, altering the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to exempt abortion-inducing drugs such as mifepristone and misoprostol from the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program.

The legislation also exempts hormone therapies such as testosterone and estrogen, requiring the state to completely purge all existing prescription records for those drugs by Jan. 1, 2027.

Critics have said lawmakers are deliberately erasing medical data to hide complications from the public.

The SECURE Act passed, shutting out biological parents from knowing whether their kids in foster care are getting sex-change treatment or abortions.

It mandates “supportive care” for minors under the guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services and restricts the disclosure of a child’s sex or abortion access, effectively hiding this information from biological parents and federal agencies.

“This bill fundamentally misinterprets and mischaracterizes what the medical record is for – a private, protected communication between healthcare professionals to take care of patients,” Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, argued on the House floor Sunday.

Two other bills targeting abortion funding and fetal death certificates failed to clear the legislature before the final deadline.

House Bill 5408 died in the Senate after passing the House, and it would have redirected 90% of excess health insurance premium funds to fund abortions for uninsured and underinsured patients.

Democrats also failed to pass House Bill 4839, which remained stalled in committee and would have eliminated the fetal death certificate requirement for miscarriages before 20 weeks.