HB 5485 - Public Act No. 22-92 Summary

• Eliminates smoking and vaping prohibitions in bar areas of bowling establishments and certain alcoholic beverage establishments issued licenses after May 1, 2003, while maintaining smoking and vaping bans in all other public places including restaurants, health care facilities, schools, and child care facilities.

• Expands mental health emergency certificate authority to allow clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marital and family therapists (with 8+ hours specialized training) to issue emergency certificates, in addition to existing authorities.

• Establishes comprehensive patient billing transparency requirements for hospital-based facilities, including written notices of facility fees, Medicare comparison rates, and restrictions on facility fee collection at off-campus outpatient facilities using certain billing codes.

• Authorizes pharmacists to administer influenza vaccines to ages 12-17 with parental consent and all FDA-approved vaccines to adults, effective July 1, 2022, subject to training and regulations.

• Makes technical revisions to licensing requirements for multiple health professions, emergency medical services, nursing home staffing standards, occupational licenses for military spouses, and definitions of clinical medical assistants.