Illinois Rep. Morris’s menopause equity and care bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Yolonda Morris aims to expand menopause education, require insurance coverage, and strengthen civil rights protections for people with menopause-related conditions, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 69 Democrats and two Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 32 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 38 Democrats and 13 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while four Republicans voted against it.

Morris introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Feb. 5, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB5284, was passed on May 28, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Creates the Illinois Menopause Equity and Care Act. Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law. Requires the Department of Public Health to create educational materials regarding menopause, including symptoms, treatment options, and patient rights for distribution to the public online. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that on or after January 1, 2028, all individual and group health insurance policies issued, renewed, or amended must provide coverage for medically necessary evaluation and treatment of perimenopause and menopause as determined by a licensed health care provider using evidence-based guidelines. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides if a licensee treats or evaluates patients suffering from menopause-related conditions, 5 hours of the required 50 hours must include continuing education on menopause care, including management of symptoms, hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, and bone health. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Defines “menopause-related condition” includes perimenopause, menopause, and associated medical or symptomatic conditions, including, but not limited to, vasomotor symptoms, sleep disruption, cognitive or mood changes, and osteoporosis-related changes. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to unlawfully discriminate because of a menopause-related condition or fail or refuse to provide reasonable accommodations.”

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

In essence, this bill creates the Illinois Menopause Equity and Care Act to expand education, health coverage and civil rights protections for people with menopause-related conditions. It requires the Department of Public Health to publish online educational materials on menopause and establish a Menopause Awareness Week. Beginning Jan. 1, 2028, individual and group health plans must cover medically necessary evaluation and treatment of perimenopause and menopause, including hormone therapy, low-dose antidepressants, nonhormonal FDA-approved drugs for vasomotor symptoms, and osteoporosis medications. It adds a requirement that clinicians who treat menopause complete 5 hours of menopause-focused continuing education and amends the Human Rights Act to define menopause-related conditions, ban related discrimination, and require reasonable workplace accommodations from most employers.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Amy Briel (Democrat-76th District), Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar (Democrat-22nd District), and Rep. Ann M. Williams (Democrat-11th District), along with 57 other sponsors.

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.

Morris, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 9th House District, replacing previous state representative Lakesia Collins.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.

While the final vote determined the bill’s passage, lawmakers in both chambers held an additional vote related to a concurrence. This earlier vote is included below for context.