Get Prepared — Newly Mandated Cultural Competency Training for Illinois Healthcare Providers

by National Law Review

New legislation in Illinois requires cultural competency training for healthcare providers in the state. H.B. 2450, recently approved by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, requires that state-licensed healthcare professionals complete one or more continuing education hours about cultural competency before renewing their license or registering to practice in Illinois, starting on or after Jan. 1, 2025. The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation will adopt rules for the deployment of this mandate, which will cover doctors, nurses, psychologists, optometrists, physical therapists, pharmacists, physician assistants, licensed clinical social workers, nursing home administrators, occupational therapists, podiatrists, respiratory care technicians, professional counselors, speech therapists and audiologists, dentists, and behavioral analysts. Illinois' legislature is also weighing S.B. 2427. That legislation aims to address discrimination and enhance cultural competence for certain populations by guaranteeing that specific state-licensed healthcare professionals are skilled in providing "affirming care to people in the person's preferred language, people with disabilities, people who are intersex, people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities."

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