(a)The General Assembly finds the following:
(1)There are persistent adverse health effects that individuals often endure after experiencing homelessness even for a short period of time.
(2)Patients who are receiving medical care at a hospital or other health care provider and are experiencing homelessness, or are otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation, would benefit from information on shelter and homeless support services.
(3)There are opportunities to improve systems of care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Illinois.
(b)The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness within the Department of Human Services shall maintain on the Department's publicly accessible website information on how a hospital or health care provider may connect a patient who is experiencing homeles
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(a) The General Assembly finds the following: (1) There are persistent adverse health effects that individuals often endure after experiencing homelessness even for a short period of time. (2) Patients who are receiving medical care at a hospital or other health care provider and are experiencing homelessness, or are otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation, would benefit from information on shelter and homeless support services. (3) There are opportunities to improve systems of care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Illinois. (b) The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness within the Department of Human Services shall maintain on the Department's publicly accessible website information on how a hospital or health care provider may connect a patient who is experiencing homelessness, or is otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation, with shelter and homeless support services for each continuum of care in the State. As used in this Section, "continuum of care" means a regional or local planning body mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. (c) The Department of Human Services shall ensure that the information required under subsection (b) includes, for each continuum of care, any phone number, email address, physical address, primary agencies, or any other information that may be necessary for a person in that continuum of care territory to begin accessing shelter or other homeless support services. Where possible, the Department shall include a specific phone number that a hospital or health care provider may call and specific language to use. (d) The Department shall also include on its website a way for the hospital or health care provider to determine which continuum of care applies based on the physical location of the hospital or health care provider. (e) The Department, in coordination with a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals, shall establish and offer a voluntary training that shall be recorded and made available on the Department's website to all hospitals and other health care providers to inform them of how a hospital or health care provider may use the Department's publicly accessible website information to connect a patient who is experiencing homelessness, or is otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation, with shelter and homeless support services. (f) The information required under this Section shall be added to the portion of the Department's website devoted to the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness no later than January 31, 2026 and shall be updated as necessary no later than every January 31 and July 31 thereafter. These updates shall be subject to audits.