Sangamon Sun

In an Aug. 8 Facebook post, Rep. Bill Hauter shared information on new mental health guidelines for doctors. House Bill 3109 was Hauter's first bill to be signed into law.

"Governor signs legislation establishing mental health guidelines for physicians," Hauter said on the social media site. “This legislation passed without opposition in both the House and the Senate. It ensures Illinois is in line with ADA standards in the criteria used to determine the mental health of medical professionals for licensing. The new law will help make it easier to retain and recruit physicians and other medical professionals in Illinois by limiting intrusive and unnecessary mental health questions in the licensing process. It also ensures that we are not stigmatizing mental health issues so that all health care workers feel they can get the help they may need without fear of future problems with their licenses.”

House Bill 3109 requires that the Illinois State Medical Board must consider the latest recommendations of the Federation of State Medical Boards when they are determining the mental capacities of medical license applicants. The questions about mental health must be compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Rep. Hauter filed the bill on Feb. 16, 2023, and it moved to the Senate on March 27. The bill passed both houses on May 11 and went to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing on June 9. It was signed into law on Aug. 4, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2024.

According to his official biography, Hauter is a physician from Morton, Illinois. He represents the people of District 87, and has experience as an elected official from his time on the Tazewell County Board, on the Health Services and Property Committees, and in the Illinois Society of Anesthesiologists. He has also been a Fellow and Delegate in the American Society of Anesthesiologists. In July 2023, he was appointed to the Illinois Rare Disease Commission. He and his wife live in Morton with their family.