IL SB2773

Establishes a Long-Term Services and Supports Disparities Task Force within the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to address racial and ethnic disparities in long-term care.

Task Force composition includes representatives from state agencies (Governor's office, DHFS, Department on Aging, Department of Human Rights, Department of Public Health), industry groups (nursing homes, assisted living, home care), workers' associations, and three consumer representatives with no financial interest in health care delivery systems.

Task Force must meet at least 4 times per calendar year and cannot convene unless all consumer representative positions are filled; membership must reflect diversity in race, ethnicity, and gender.

Task Force responsibilities include documenting LTSS providers and clients by setting, analyzing racial profiles of residents across care settings, identifying racial disparities in care delivery, assessing cultural competency of providers, and conducting public hearings and studies on how state actions contribute to disparities.

Task Force shall submit initial findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly within one year of the effective date, with annual reports thereafter documenting progress in eliminating long-term care disparities; Act takes effect July 1, 2014.