Lake County Gazette

Bob Morgan introduced HB1365 in the Illinois House on Jan. 14, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act, the Music Therapy Licensing and Practice Act, and the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act. Allows an applicant for licensure under those Acts to temporarily practice under supervision while the applicant's application for licensure is pending under specified circumstances. Removes good moral character standards as qualification requirements for the licensing of social workers and music therapists. Creates procedures for placing a license on inactive status for social workers and professional counselors. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation must allow reasonable exam accommodations for licensed marriage and family therapists and clinical psychologists whose primary language is not English if a test in the therapist's or psychologist's primary language is not available."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends various professional licensing acts in Illinois to streamline the process for applicants seeking temporary authorization to practice pending licensure. It allows applicants for clinical psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, music therapy, and professional counseling licenses to practice under supervision if their applications are in process. Temporary practice permission ends if the Department of Professional Regulation finds the applicant unqualified, if they engage in conduct warranting discipline, or when a permanent license is issued. Additionally, the bill updates renewal procedures, allowing certain fees and requirements to be waived for inactive or expired licenses under specified conditions, and it clarifies eligibility criteria, including protections against discrimination based on a broad range of personal attributes. The changes aim to enhance access to practice while maintaining regulatory oversight.

Bob Morgan has proposed another seven bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Morgan graduated from the University of Illinois in 2002 with a BA and again in 2005 from Northern Illinois University with a JD.

Bob Morgan is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 58th House District. He replaced previous state representative Scott Drury in 2019.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB1365	01/14/2025	Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act, the Music Therapy Licensing and Practice Act, and the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act. Allows an applicant for licensure under those Acts to temporarily practice under supervision while the applicant's application for licensure is pending under specified circumstances. Removes good moral character standards as qualification requirements for the licensing of social workers and music therapists. Creates procedures for placing a license on inactive status for social workers and professional counselors. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation must allow reasonable exam accommodations for licensed marriage and family therapists and clinical psychologists whose primary language is not English if a test in the therapist's or psychologist's primary language is not available.
HB0033	01/09/2025	Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act concerning the Firearm Transfer Inquiry Program. Provides that the Illinois State Police may charge a fee not to exceed $10 and any processing fee. Provides that the processing fees shall be limited to charges by the State Treasurer for using the electronic online payment system. Provides that $4 from each fee collected under this provision shall be deposited into the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund. Currently, the Illinois State Police may use existing technology which allows the caller to be charged a fee not to exceed $2.
HB0034	01/09/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that any person who carries or possesses a firearm while present in a polling place, except a peace officer in the performance of his or her official duties, shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
HB0035	01/09/2025	Creates the Artificial Intelligence Systems Use in Health Insurance Act. Provides that the Department of Insurance's regulatory oversight of insurers includes oversight of an insurer's use of AI systems to make or support adverse determinations that affect consumers. Provides that any insurer authorized to operate in the State is subject to review by the Department in an investigation or market conduct action regarding the development, implementation, and use of AI systems or predictive models and the outcomes from the use of those AI systems or predictive models. Provides that an insurer authorized to do business in Illinois shall not issue an adverse consumer outcome with regard to the denial, reduction, or termination of insurance plans or benefits that result solely from the use or application of any AI system or predictive model. Provides that any decision-making process for the denial, reduction, or termination of insurance plans or benefits that results from the use of AI systems or predictive models shall be meaningfully reviewed, in accordance with review procedures determined by Department rules, by an individual with authority to override the AI systems and determinations. Authorizes the Department to adopt emergency rules to implement the Act and to adopt rules concerning standards for full and fair disclosure of an insurer's use of AI systems. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
HB0039	01/09/2025	Amends the Time Standardization Act. Provides that daylight saving time shall be the year-round standard time of the entire State. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
HB0040	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve training programs in crimes motivated by bias. Includes requirements for the training programs. Requires the training for new law enforcement officers and allows continuing education credits for current law enforcement officers who complete the training.
HB0043	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Task Force on Firearm Insurance to review current and potential future insurance policy offerings for the safe and legal possession of firearms and to offer policymaking recommendations related to the use of that insurance. Provides that the Department of Insurance shall provide administrative support for the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be composed of specified members. Provides that the Task Force shall elect a chairperson from its membership. Provides that appointments shall be made within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that members shall serve without compensation. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of findings, recommendations, and other information to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2026. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
HB0062	01/09/2025	Creates the Junk Fee Ban Act. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for a person to: (1) offer, display, or advertise an amount a consumer may pay for merchandise without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; (2) fail, in any offer, display, or advertisement that contains an amount a consumer may pay, to display the total price more prominently than any other pricing information; (3) misrepresent the nature and purpose of any amount a consumer may pay, including the ability to refund the fees and the identity of any merchandise for which fees are charged; (4) fail to disclose clearly and conspicuously before the consumer consents to pay, the nature and purpose of any amount a consumer may pay that is excluded from the total price, including the ability to refund the fees and the identity of any merchandise for which fees are charged; or (5) offer, display, or advertise, including through direct offerings, third-party distribution, or metasearch referrals, a total price for a place of short-term lodging that does not include all required fees. Requires total price disclosures for retail mercantile establishments and food service establishments; and the disclosure of delivery fees. Provides for limitations of the Act. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce violations of the Act as an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Preempts home rule.