104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB0291 Introduced 1/24/2025, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the One Health Framework Task Force Act. Establishes the One Health Framework Task Force in the Department of Public Health for the purpose of developing a strategic plan to promote interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, and other scientific professionals and State agencies, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of the State's residents, animals, and environment. Declares goals and responsibilities of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall partner with or consult with certain entities in the State. Lists the members of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of the chairperson. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall provide support to the Task Force. Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a final report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2027. Defines terms. LRB104 06089 BDA 16122 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB0291 Introduced 1/24/2025, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act Creates the One Health Framework Task Force Act. Establishes the One Health Framework Task Force in the Department of Public Health for the purpose of developing a strategic plan to promote interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, and other scientific professionals and State agencies, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of the State's residents, animals, and environment. Declares goals and responsibilities of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall partner with or consult with certain entities in the State. Lists the members of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of the chairperson. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall provide support to the Task Force. Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a final report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2027. Defines terms. LRB104 06089 BDA 16122 b LRB104 06089 BDA 16122 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB0291 Introduced 1/24/2025, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act New Act
New Act
Creates the One Health Framework Task Force Act. Establishes the One Health Framework Task Force in the Department of Public Health for the purpose of developing a strategic plan to promote interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, and other scientific professionals and State agencies, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of the State's residents, animals, and environment. Declares goals and responsibilities of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall partner with or consult with certain entities in the State. Lists the members of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of the chairperson. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall provide support to the Task Force. Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a final report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2027. Defines terms.
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A BILL FOR
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1 AN ACT concerning State government.
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 One
5 Health Framework Task Force Act.
6 Section 5. Findings and purpose. The General Assembly
7 finds that:
8 (1) The term "One Health" reflects the
9 interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the
10 environment.
11 (2) The strong connections and interdependency between
12 humans, companion animals, livestock, wildlife, and
13 ecosystem health are recognized in the One Health
14 initiative framework, which facilitates addressing
15 zoonotic diseases, vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial
16 resistance, and other complex, multi-disciplinary issues.
17 (3) Existing One Health initiatives at the federal
18 level were included in both the 2021 Report of the
19 Appropriations Committee of the United States House of
20 Representatives and the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations
21 Act. Congress directed the Centers for Disease Control and
22 Prevention to collaborate with the U.S. Department of
23 Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, and other
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB0291 Introduced 1/24/2025, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act New Act
New Act
Creates the One Health Framework Task Force Act. Establishes the One Health Framework Task Force in the Department of Public Health for the purpose of developing a strategic plan to promote interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, and other scientific professionals and State agencies, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of the State's residents, animals, and environment. Declares goals and responsibilities of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall partner with or consult with certain entities in the State. Lists the members of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of the chairperson. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall provide support to the Task Force. Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a final report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2027. Defines terms.
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A BILL FOR
New Act
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1 federal agency partners:
2 (A) to create a National One Health framework to
3 address zoonotic diseases and advance public health
4 preparedness in the United States; and
5 (B) to collaborate with interagency partners on
6 the development of a One Health coordination mechanism
7 at the federal level to strengthen One Health
8 collaboration related to the prevention of, detection
9 of, control of, and response to zoonotic diseases and
10 related One Health work across the federal government.
11 (4) Existing One Health initiatives in other states
12 include the passage of Senate Bill 347 and Assembly Bill
13 1992 in New Jersey in June 2021 for the purpose of
14 developing a New Jersey One Health Task Force.
15 (5) Awareness and collaboration among disciplines will
16 help protect the environment and the health of all
17 species, will save lives in present and future
18 generations, and will increase the quality of life, the
19 physical and mental health, and the productivity of
20 residents of the State.
21 (6) A One Health approach recognizes that the health
22 of people is connected to the health of animals and the
23 environment, and it has been described as a collaborative,
24 multisector, and transdisciplinary approach, working at
25 the local, regional, national, and global levels, with the
26 goal of achieving optimal health outcomes while
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1 recognizing the interconnection between people, animals,
2 plants, and their shared environment.
3 (7) A One Health approach is important because 6 out
4 of 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from
5 animals; animals can also serve as early warning signs or
6 sentinels of potential illnesses or other health concerns
7 in people; and public health preparedness depends on
8 agriculture in a variety of ways.
9 (8) It is, therefore, in the public interest for the
10 State to establish a One Health Framework Task Force to
11 promote the health and wellness of Illinois' natural
12 resource, residents, and animals, including pets,
13 livestock, and wildlife, by encouraging the collaborative
14 efforts of experts and leveraging knowledge and resources
15 effectively.
16 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
17 "One Health" means an integrated, unifying approach that
18 aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people,
19 animals, and ecosystems while recognizing that the health of
20 humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider
21 environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and
22 interdependent.
23 "Task Force" means the One Health Framework Task Force
24 established under this Act.
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1 Section 15. One Health Framework Task Force.
2 (a) The One Health Framework Task Force is established in
3 the Department of Public Health. The purpose of this Task
4 Force shall be to develop a strategic plan to promote
5 interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between
6 physicians, veterinarians, and other scientific professionals
7 and State agencies, with the goal of promoting the health and
8 well-being of the State's residents, animals, and environment.
9 (b) The goals and responsibilities of the Task Force shall
10 include:
11 (1) development of a mechanism to promote
12 interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between
13 human, animal, and environmental health professionals;
14 (2) development of protocols for the response to, and
15 recovery from, zoonotic disease outbreaks in animals and
16 humans;
17 (3) coordination and collaboration among appropriate
18 entities to develop novel approaches to reduce hazards to
19 human and animal health and to address public health
20 threats in a timely manner that prevents duplication; and
21 (4) development of educational and outreach
22 initiatives to promote the One Health approach across
23 State government agencies, the State's academic and
24 research institutions, non-governmental organizations,
25 and private entities.
26 (c) The Task Force shall partner with academic
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1 institutions and nongovernmental organizations in the State
2 and consult with associations, organizations, and individuals
3 who are knowledgeable about the One Health initiative.
4 (d) The Task Force shall be composed of the following
5 members:
6 (1) the Director of Public Health or the Director's
7 designee, who shall serve as chairperson;
8 (2) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's
9 designee;
10 (3) the Director of the Environmental Protection
11 Agency or the Director's designee;
12 (4) the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management
13 Agency and Office of Homeland Security or the Director's
14 designee;
15 (5) the Chairman of the Illinois Housing Development
16 Authority or the Chairman's designee;
17 (6) the Director of Natural Resources or the
18 Director's designee;
19 (7) the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's
20 designee;
21 (8) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
22 or the Director's designee;
23 (9) four members who are experts regarding One Health
24 from the academic or teaching community in this State,
25 appointed by the Governor;
26 (10) two members who are experts regarding One Health
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1 and who are physicians licensed to practice medicine in
2 all its branches in this State, appointed by the Governor;
3 and
4 (11) two members who are experts regarding One Health
5 and who are veterinarians licensed in this State,
6 appointed by the Governor.
7 (e) The Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of
8 the chairperson and shall meet as frequently as necessary to
9 carry out its duties as required by this Act.
10 (f) The Department of Public Health shall provide
11 administrative and other support to the Task Force.
12 (g) The members of the Task Force shall serve without
13 compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and
14 necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose.
15 (h) The Task Force shall submit a final report to the
16 General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1,
17 2027. This report shall outline the development of the One
18 Health Framework contemplated in the findings and purpose of
19 this Act and subsection (a) of this Section, shall provide
20 details regarding the goals and responsibilities of the Task
21 Force in subsection (b) of this Section, and shall include any
22 other recommendations for legislative or regulatory action to
23 improve, promote, and protect the health and well-being of the
24 State's residents, animals, and environment.
25 (i) The final report under subsection (h) shall be posted
26 on the public websites of the Department of Agriculture, the
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