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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4596

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Rep. Dave Vella

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
105 ILCS 5/27-215
815 ILCS 505/2Z

from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 262Z

Creates the Combating Health Misinformation Act. Establishes the
Health Misinformation Response Unit within the Department of Public Health
to monitor and counter health misinformation. Requires the Department to
offer public health literacy grants. Requires the Department of Public
Health to recruit and train trusted messengers to assist in communicating
accurate health information. Requires certain entities that distribute or
communicate health-related information in the State to disclose funding
sources, as well as to provide citations for alleged facts. Allows the
Department of Public Health to request that information from those
entities. Provides that specified entities that knowingly violate certain
provisions of the Act commit an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud
and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Defines terms. Amends the School
Code to require health literacy to be taught as part of a comprehensive
health education program, in collaboration with the Department of Public
Health. Makes conforming changes to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive
Business Practices Act.
LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b

A BILL FOR

HB4596
LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1

AN ACT concerning health.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
5
Combating Health Misinformation Act.

6

Section 5.
Definitions.
In this Act:
7

"Department" means the Department of Public Health.
8

"Director" means the Director of Public Health.
9

"Unit" means the Health Misinformation Response Unit
10
created in Section 10.

11

Section 10.
Health Misinformation Response Unit.
12

(a) There is created within the Department a new unit
13
named the Health Misinformation Response Unit. The Director
14
shall appoint a Unit Head who shall, in coordination with the
15
Director or the Director's designee, hire or reassign
16
employees as necessary to effectuate the responsibilities of
17
the Unit.
18

(b) The Unit shall be responsible for monitoring health
19
misinformation trends on social media, community forums, and
20
other web and news sources, and recording all trends noticed.
21
The Unit shall periodically issue public health advisories to
22
counter misinformation so identified with facts.

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1

(c) The Unit shall also initiate and develop relationships
2
with universities to research the impacts of health
3
misinformation and to develop effective countermeasures.

4

Section 15.
Public health literacy grants.
5

(a) The Department shall offer financial assistance grants
6
to community-based organizations, elementary or high schools,
7
or libraries, to implement health literacy programs to teach
8
residents how to evaluate medical claims, how to spot medical
9
misinformation, and how to access trusted care.
10

(b) The Department may fund these grants through funds
11
appropriated to the Department but not allocated to a specific
12
purpose or through funds specifically appropriated to fund
13
public health literacy grants.
14

(c) The Department shall adopt rules as necessary to
15
create and maintain in accordance with the requirements of
16
this Section a grant application process for public health
17
literacy grants.

18

Section 20.
Trusted messenger network.
19

(a) The Department shall recruit and train local health
20
professionals and local community leaders to serve as trusted
21
messengers to assist in communicating accurate health
22
information to their communities.
23

(b) The Department shall, no less than once per quarter,
24
send trusted messengers information on current public health

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1
issues, information countering specific trends of health
2
misinformation, or any other information the Department finds
3
important for public health.
4

(c) The Department shall also identify for trusted health
5
messengers an email address and phone number that may be used
6
by the trusted messengers to contact the Department with
7
questions or requests for assistance.
8

(d) If the Director finds that a particular trusted
9
messenger is no longer assisting with communicating
10
information to the public in a satisfactory manner, the
11
Director may cease to send information as required by
12
subsections (b) and (c) of this Section, so long as the
13
Director provides the trusted messenger with an explanation of
14
the decision, in writing or by email, first.
15

(e) The Department shall offer quarterly training that is
16
accessible virtually, that must be attended by all trusted
17
messengers, and that will include information on current
18
health misinformation trends and how to counter them and the
19
importance of providing accurate health information. All
20
trusted health messengers must attend each training.
21

(f) Trusted messengers shall receive no compensation from
22
the Department.

23

Section 25.
Transparency in health claims.
24

(a) To protect the public health, safety, and general
25
welfare of the people of the State of Illinois, any

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1
corporation, limited liability company, or registered
2
nonprofit organization that distributes or communicates
3
health-related information in the State of Illinois shall
4
disclose its funding sources and, if the distribution or
5
communication of health-related information claims to present
6
facts, shall provide citations to sources of all
7
health-related information that is distributed or
8
communicated. The disclosure of funding sources required by
9
this subsection may be provided by inclusion in each
10
communication or by a prominently placed Uniform Resource
11
Locator link to a website that details the funding.
12

(b) The Department is authorized to request from any
13
corporation, limited liability company, or registered
14
nonprofit organization distributing or communicating
15
health-related information in the State the funding sources
16
and citations to any sources of health-related information
17
used. Any corporation, limited liability company, or
18
registered nonprofit receiving a request shall provide the
19
requested information under this subsection within 7 business
20
days of receiving the request.
21

(c) A corporation, limited liability company, or
22
registered nonprofit organization that knowingly violates any
23
provision in this Section commits an unlawful practice under
24
the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. All
25
remedies, penalties, and authority granted to the Attorney
26
General by the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1
Act shall be available to the Attorney General for the
2
enforcement of this Section.

3

Section 30.
The School Code is amended by changing Section
4
27-215 as follows:

5

(105 ILCS 5/27-215)
6

Sec. 27-215.
Comprehensive health education program.
7

(a) In this subsection (a):
8

"Age and developmentally appropriate" means suitable to
9
particular ages or age groups of children or adolescents,
10
based on the developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
11
capacity typical for the age or age group.
12

"Consent" means an affirmative, knowing, conscious,
13
ongoing, and voluntary agreement to engage in interpersonal,
14
physical, or sexual activity, which can be revoked at any
15
point, including during the course of interpersonal, physical,
16
or sexual activity.
17

The program established under this Act shall include, but
18
not be limited to, the following major educational areas as a
19
basis for curricula in all elementary and secondary schools in
20
this State, with applicable Illinois Learning Standards
21
adopted by the State Board of Education guiding the
22
instruction in the program:
23

(1) human ecology, health, growth, development,
24

personal health habits, and nutrition, consistent with the

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1

Illinois Learning Standards adopted by the State Board of
2

Education;
3

(2) the emotional, psychological, physiological,
4

hygienic, and social responsibilities of family life,
5

including evidence-based and medically accurate
6

information regarding sexual abstinence;
7

(3) the prevention and control of disease, including
8

instruction in grades 6 through 12 on the prevention,
9

transmission, and spread of AIDS;
10

(4) age and developmentally appropriate sexual abuse,
11

consistent with Section 10-23.13 of this Code, abuse
12

during pregnancy, and assault awareness and prevention
13

education in grades prekindergarten through 12;
14

(5) public health, environmental health, disaster
15

preparedness education, and safety education;
16

(6) mental health and illness;
17

(7) dental health;
18

(8) cancer education that includes the types of
19

cancer, signs and symptoms, risk factors, the importance
20

of early prevention and detection, and information on
21

where to get help and treatment for cancer;
and
22

(9) age and developmentally appropriate consent
23

education
; and

.
24

(10) health literacy, including how to fact-check
25

health information found online.
26

The State Board of Education shall collaborate with the

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1
Department of Public Health in establishing guidance for
2
schools in teaching health literacy as required by paragraph
3
(10).

4

The instruction on mental health and illness must evaluate
5
the multiple dimensions of health by reviewing the
6
relationship between physical and mental health to enhance
7
student understanding, attitudes, and behaviors that promote
8
health, well-being, and human dignity and must include how and
9
where to find mental health resources and specialized
10
treatment in the State. The program shall also provide course
11
material and instruction to advise pupils of the Abandoned
12
Newborn Infant Protection Act.
13

Consent education must be age and developmentally
14
appropriate, and the instruction on age and developmentally
15
appropriate consent shall require only instruction aligning
16
with consent as defined in this Section.
17

(b) Notwithstanding the educational areas under subsection
18
(a), the following areas may also be included as a basis for
19
curricula in all elementary and secondary schools in this
20
State: basic first aid (including, but not limited to,
21
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver),
22
heart disease, diabetes, stroke, the prevention of child
23
abuse, neglect, and suicide, and teen dating violence in
24
grades 7 through 12.
25

(c) The State Superintendent of Education, in cooperation
26
with the Department of Children and Family Services, shall

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1
prepare and disseminate to all public schools and nonpublic
2
schools information on instructional materials and programs
3
about child sexual abuse, which may be used by such schools for
4
their own or community programs. Such information may also be
5
disseminated by such schools to parents.
6

(d) No pupil shall be required to take or participate in
7
any class or course on AIDS or family life instruction or to
8
receive training on how to properly administer cardiopulmonary
9
resuscitation or how to use an automated external
10
defibrillator if his or her parent or guardian submits written
11
objection thereto, and refusal to take or participate in the
12
course or program or the training shall not be reason for
13
suspension or expulsion of the pupil.
14
(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

15

Section 35.
The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business
16
Practices Act is amended by changing Section 2Z as follows:

17

(815 ILCS 505/2Z)

(from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 262Z)
18

Sec. 2Z.
Violations of other Acts.
Any person who
19
knowingly violates the Automotive Repair Act, the Automotive
20
Collision Repair Act, the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, the
21
Dance Studio Act, the Physical Fitness Services Act, the
22
Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act, the Illinois Union
23
Label Act, the Installment Sales Contract Act, the Job
24
Referral and Job Listing Services Consumer Protection Act, the

HB4596
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LRB104 17387 BDA 30812 b
1
Travel Promotion Consumer Protection Act, the Credit Services
2
Organizations Act, the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act, the
3
Pay-Per-Call Services Consumer Protection Act, the Telephone
4
Solicitations Act, the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act,
5
the Cemetery Oversight Act, the Cemetery Care Act, the Safe
6
and Hygienic Bed Act, the Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales
7
Act, the High Risk Home Loan Act, the Payday Loan Reform Act,
8
the Predatory Loan Prevention Act, the Mortgage Rescue Fraud
9
Act, subsection (a) or (b) of Section 3-10 of the Cigarette Tax
10
Act, subsection (a) or (b) of Section 3-10 of the Cigarette Use
11
Tax Act, the Electronic Mail Act, the Internet Caller
12
Identification Act, paragraph (6) of subsection (k) of Section
13
6-305 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, Section 11-1431, 18d-115,
14
18d-120, 18d-125, 18d-135, 18d-150, or 18d-153 of the Illinois
15
Vehicle Code, Article 3 of the Residential Real Property
16
Disclosure Act, the Automatic Contract Renewal Act, the
17
Reverse Mortgage Act, Section 25 of the Youth Mental Health
18
Protection Act, the Personal Information Protection Act,
or

19
the Student Online Personal Protection Act
, or Section 25 of
20
the Combating Health Misinformation Act
commits an unlawful
21
practice within the meaning of this Act.
22
(Source: P.A. 100-315, eff. 8-24-17; 100-416, eff. 1-1-18;
23
100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-658, eff. 3-23-21.)

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