HB 767 (Representative Bob Morgan, D-Highwood/President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park) was approved by the House on October 28. The bill bundles together several updates to Illinois laws about public health, immunizations, pharmacy practices, and insurance rules. It makes a number of coordinated changes across different state departments and codes.
This legislation builds on Executive Order 2025-04 by codifying the state’s vaccine guidance regime, establishing statutory State Guidelines for Communicable Disease Prevention, expanding the advisory committee role, updating provider (pharmacist) authority and vaccine age rules, and linking insurance coverage to state-recommended vaccines.
Key Provisions:
Public Health Department – Medical Director
- The Medical Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health will have new advisory duties.
Pharmacy Grant Program
- The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) must provide a grant to a statewide pharmacy association to support pharmacies across Illinois.
Immunization Advisory Committee
- This committee will advise the Director of Public Health on how to control diseases that can be prevented by vaccines or other medical countermeasures (like antiviral drugs).
- The Department must post the committee’s recommendations publicly on its website.
- The bill also updates who serves on this committee.
Insurance Coverage for Vaccines
- Health insurance plans in Illinois must cover vaccines and medical countermeasures that are recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health’s official State Guidelines for Communicable Disease Prevention.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Oversight
- Tightens rules for PBM contracts, reporting, and licensing — these are the middlemen who negotiate drug prices between pharmacies and insurance companies.
Pharmacy Practice Changes
- Pharmacists cannot give vaccines to children younger than 7 years old if those vaccines are listed in the state’s immunization schedule.
- It also updates what vaccines pharmacists, pharmacy techs, and student pharmacists can administer and under what supervision.
State Guidelines for Disease Prevention
- The Director of Public Health must publish State Guidelines describing how to prevent communicable diseases using vaccines or medical countermeasures.
Insurance Protections for Seniors
New consumer protection rule (effective January 1, 2026):
- It becomes illegal for insurance companies to solicit or pressure people age 65 and older to buy accident or health insurance if they have a health care power of attorney or a medical condition (like dementia) that limits their ability to make independent decisions.
- Previously, the rule applied broadly to anyone over 65 — now it focuses on those over 65 with diminished capacity.
In summary, the legislation seeks to achieve the following:
- Expands oversight and transparency for public health immunization policies,
- Updates who can give vaccines and to whom,
- Increases regulation of pharmacy benefit managers,
- Ensures insurance covers state-recommended vaccines, and
- Adds stronger protections against predatory insurance sales to vulnerable seniors.
Related ISACo Content:
Illinois Moves to Establish Independent Vaccine Guidelines
On Friday, September 12, Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois will move forward with establishing its own vaccine guidelines in response to recent federal rollbacks on COVID-19 vaccine use and what he described as the Trump administration’s growing vaccine skepticism.
Under Executive Order (EO) 2025-04, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), working with the state Immunization Advisory Committee, will develop recommendations where federal actions “fail to protect public health.” The committee is scheduled to meet on September 22, 2025, with IDPH expected to release new guidance by September 26, 2025. The order authorizes providers to administer vaccines in line with these forthcoming state guidelines and directs IDPH to coordinate planning, supply, and access.
Governor Pritzker’s action follows steps taken by other states, including California, Oregon, and Washington, to establish their own vaccine frameworks amid federal leadership changes. While the order requires state-regulated insurance plans to continue covering vaccines beyond federal standards, it may not apply to large employer-based plans governed federally. Public health experts remain concerned that recent federal moves—such as limiting vaccine use for younger populations and removing key CDC leadership—will create new hurdles for patients. Pritzker pledged Illinois will “follow the science” to ensure access, though questions remain about potential costs for some families.