SB 1135

Abstract

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Permits hospitals that admit patients for treatment of mental illness to grant medical staff privileges to licensed prescribing psychologists. Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. Requires a psychologist applying for a prescribing psychologist license to have completed 30 psychology doctoral graduate credit hours and 31 credit hours in a Master of Science degree program. Provides that clinical rotation training requirements for prescribing psychologists shall be completed under the administrative supervision of a Director or other faculty member of a regionally approved University that provides training for the master's degree in clinical psychopharmacology. Requires the clinical rotation training to be housed in a healthcare setting and to meet certain academic standards. Provides that all prescriptions written by a prescribing psychologist must contain the prescribing psychologist's name and signature. Provides that physicians may provide collaboration and consultation with prescribing psychologists via telehealth. Permits persons who have 5 years of experience as a prescribing psychologist in another state or at a federal medical facility to apply for an Illinois prescribing psychologist license by endorsement. Makes changes to the Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board. Amends the Telehealth Act. Expands the definition of "health care professional" to include prescribing psychologists. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to reimburse prescribing psychologists for behavioral health services provided via telehealth. Requires the Department to, by rule, establish rates to be paid for specified services provided by clinical psychologists and prescribing psychologists. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 210 ILCS 85/10.4 225 ILCS 15/4.5 225 ILCS 15/7 305 ILCS 5/5-5.25 305 ILCS 5/5-5.27 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. Requires a psychologist applying for a prescribing psychologist license to have completed a full-time residency (rather than a practicum) of 14 months' supervised clinical training (removing a requirement of at least 36 credit hours). Adds medical centers, health care facilities located at federal and State prisons, patient-centered medical homes or family-centered medical homes, women's medical health centers, and Federally Qualified Health Centers as possible instructional settings for the residency. Adds specified clinical training standards to the residency requirements. In provisions regarding delegation of prescriptive authority, provides that all prescriptions written by a prescribing psychologist must contain the prescribing psychologist's name and signature. Amends the Telehealth Act. Expands the definition of "health care professional" to include prescribing psychologists. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 In a provision concerning requirements for a psychologist applying for a prescribing psychologist license, removes a reference to a full-time residency and restores a reference to a full-time practicum. Makes conforming changes.