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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 Commission 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 Framework, which facilitates addressing zoonotic diseases,
15 vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and other
16 complex, multidisciplinary 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
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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 Commission.
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 improve 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
4 approximately 60% of known infectious diseases in humans
5 and 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate from
6 animals; environmental factors, including climate change,
7 land-use changes, and biodiversity loss, significantly
8 influence the emergence and transmission of zoonotic
9 diseases. Animals can serve as early warning indicators of
10 potential public health threats, and robust agricultural
11 and environmental health systems are integral to public
12 health preparedness and response efforts.
13 (8) It is, therefore, in the public interest for the
14 State to establish a One Health Commission to promote the
15 health and wellness of Illinois' natural resource,
16 residents, and animals, including pets, livestock, and
17 wildlife, by encouraging the collaborative efforts of
18 experts and leveraging knowledge and resources
19 effectively.
20 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
21 "One Health" means an integrated, unifying approach that
22 aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people,
23 animals, and ecosystems while recognizing that the health of
24 humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider
25 environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and
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1 interdependent.
2 "Commission" means the One Health Commission established
3 under this Act.
4 Section 15. One Health Commission.
5 (a) The One Health Commission is established in the
6 Department of Public Health. The purpose of this Commission
7 shall be to develop a strategic plan to promote
8 interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between
9 physicians, veterinarians, and other scientific professionals
10 and State agencies, with the goal of promoting the health and
11 well-being of the State's residents, animals, and environment.
12 (b) The goals and responsibilities of the Commission shall
13 include:
14 (1) recommending the best practices to promote
15 interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between
16 human, animal, and environmental health professionals;
17 (2) establishing mechanisms to provide feedback on,
18 and to support State agency and local government responses
19 to, and recovery from, zoonotic disease outbreaks in
20 animals and humans;
21 (3) coordinating and collaborating with appropriate
22 entities to develop effective approaches to reduce hazards
23 to human, animal, and environmental health and ensuring
24 innovative, science-based solutions are integrated into
25 public health strategies;
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1 (4) developing educational and outreach initiatives to
2 promote the One Health approach across State government
3 agencies, the State's academic and research institutions,
4 nongovernmental organizations, and private entities;
5 (5) collaborating with disciplines for development of
6 effective xenosurveillance and other means of surveilling
7 emerging One Health-related threats; and
8 (6) promoting and providing education concerning
9 judicious antibiotic use by physicians, veterinarians, and
10 agricultural health professionals, including
11 recommendations on use of antibiotic alternatives, such as
12 bacteriophage therapy.
13 (c) The Commission shall partner with academic
14 institutions and nongovernmental organizations in the State
15 and consult with associations, organizations, and individuals
16 who are knowledgeable about the One Health initiative.
17 (d) The Commission shall be composed of the following
18 members:
19 (1) the Director of Public Health or the Director's
20 designee, who shall serve as co-chairperson;
21 (2) the President of the University of Illinois, or
22 the President's designee, who shall serve as
23 co-chairperson;
24 (3) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's
25 designee;
26 (4) the Director of the Environmental Protection
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1 Agency or the Director's designee;
2 (5) the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management
3 Agency and Office of Homeland Security or the Director's
4 designee;
5 (6) the Chairman of the Illinois Housing Development
6 Authority or the Chairman's designee;
7 (7) the Director of Natural Resources or the
8 Director's designee;
9 (8) the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's
10 designee;
11 (9) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
12 or the Director's designee, who shall serve as an ex
13 officio, nonvoting, advisory member;
14 (10) 4 members who are experts regarding One Health
15 from the academic or teaching community in this State,
16 appointed by the Director of Public Health;
17 (11) 2 members who are experts regarding One Health
18 and who are physicians licensed to practice medicine in
19 all its branches in this State, including at least one
20 with expertise in epidemiology or infectious disease
21 surveillance, appointed by the Director of Public Health;
22 (12) 2 members who are experts regarding One Health
23 and who are veterinarians licensed in this State,
24 entomologists, or licensed environmental health
25 practitioners, appointed by the Director of Public Health;
26 and
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1 (13) one member who represents a safety net medical
2 facility in the State of Illinois who has expertise in One
3 Health, appointed by the Director of Public Health.
4 (e) The Commission shall convene and meet at the call of a
5 co-chairperson and shall meet as frequently as necessary to
6 carry out its duties as required by this Act.
7 (e-5) Members shall be appointed for 4-year terms.
8 (f) The Department of Public Health and the University of
9 Illinois shall provide administrative and other support to the
10 Commission.
11 (g) The members of the Commission shall serve without
12 compensation.
13 (h) The Commission shall submit a final report to the
14 General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1,
15 2028. This report shall:
16 (1) outline the development of the One Health
17 Framework described in this Act;
18 (2) provide details regarding the goals and
19 responsibilities of the Commission in this Act;
20 (3) provide an assessment of One Health surveillance
21 and response systems; and
22 (4) provide recommendations for future policy
23 enhancements any other recommendations for legislative or
24 regulatory action to improve, promote, and protect the
25 health and well-being of the State's residents, animals,
26 and environment.
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1 The Commission shall provide an update to this report
2 every 2 years.
3 (i) The final report under subsection (h) shall be posted
4 on the public websites of the all the State agencies listed in
5 subsection (d) that participate in the Commission.
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