Rep. Martha Deuter backs HB5295 to establish Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act

Rep. Martha Deuter (D-45th) supported HB5295, legislation establishing the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act, during the 104th General Assembly on May 31, 2026, according to the Illinois House; the measure passed by a 73-39 vote.

The bill's official language offers this summary: "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PRIVACY."

The following analysis draws from the actual bill text and may include clarification to aid understanding of the legislation's scope.

HB5295 creates the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act, mandating health information exchanges to, by July 1, 2027, establish and apply technical and policy protocols that separate abortion-related medical data from other records, limit access to that information, and prevent disclosure or use by parties outside Illinois. The legislation grants patients the ability to pursue damages and injunctive relief, inclusive of attorney fees, and empowers the attorney general to impose civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation. The measure also revises the Medical Patient Rights Act to underscore patient privacy and specifically permits separating abortion-related records in exchanges, while including a severability clause.

The noted legislative action on HB5295 was 'Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 House Concurs'.

Deuter earned a BSW from Ohio University in 1995.

A member of the Democratic Party, Deuter was elected in 2025 to represent Illinois’ 45th House District, succeeding former state Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass.

In Illinois, bills advance through a multi-step legislative process beginning with introduction in either chamber, followed by committee consideration, floor debate, and votes in both the House and Senate. Measures then proceed to the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly meets every other year, and while thousands of bills are submitted each session, relatively few complete all steps to become law.