Statement of
James Ferg-Cadima, Legislative Counsel
American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
Re: Adoption of House Bill 980 by Illinois House of Representatives

We applaud the unanimous vote in the Illinois House adopting House Bill 980 and congratulate Representative LaShawn Ford for his leadership on reconciling the need to facilitate HIV testing of those persons who still do not know they are HIV positive with the public health benefits of ensuring that people understand the test, agree to it, and are linked to the services they need. As a result, HB 980 maintains the requirement to document informed consent found in current Illinois law with the goal to increase testing that motivates the most recent recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control. Most important, the bill marks a common effort – by HIV/AIDS and privacy advocates, medical and hospital associations, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and members on both sides of the aisle - to act in a coordinated, thoughtful way to help find and refer into treatment those who are HIV-positive, but do not know their status, while at the same time streamlining our approach to pre-test counseling and voluntary consent.

We are hopeful that the House’s action - with passage in the Senate and approval by the Governor - will lead to a reduction in new HIV and AIDS cases in Illinois and empower those with HIV to find appropriate medical care all the sooner.