Will County Gazette

Illinois state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is in full support of legislation that amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act.

“I believe this is a unique situation in an area that needs these services,” Rezin said during a recent Senate floor hearing after Sen. Don Harmon (R-Oak Park) touched on Senate Bill 168. “I appreciate the senator bringing this to us and I encourage a yea vote.”

Effective immediately, SB 168 stipulates that a party seeking to re-establish a previously discontinued general acute care hospital under the act shall be authorized to file a certificate of exemption for purposes of re-establishing the hospital. The bill has already been passed by the House.

In the lead-up to the vote, Rezin sought total clarity from Harmon about the aim of the legislation, at one point quizzing the chief sponsor of the measure, “can you run through the process for the healthcare industry using the process and why it's important you're eliminating or skipping that process in this bill?”

After explaining that the bill will not be setting a precedent by eliminating any processes, Harmon added the measure was really “creating a parallel process” that would allow for a streamlining and ideally the reopening of a recently closed medical facility.

Serving  the 38th District since 2010, Rezin was recently appointed deputy minority leader. She also serves as minority spokesperson on the Senate Energy and Public Utilities and Senate Revenue committees. In addition, Rezin is a member of the Education, Executive and Government Accountability and Pensions committees.

Her 38th District includes Bureau, Putnam, LaSalle, Grundy, and Kendall counties in north central Illinois.