Dupage Policy Journal

Martha Deuter introduced HB2874 in the Illinois House on Feb. 5, 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 Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that the law concerning limitations on the over-the-counter sale of ephedrine without a prescription does not apply to the sale of any product dispensed or delivered by a practitioner or pharmacy according to a prescription issued by a prescriber authorized by the State or another state for a valid medical purpose and in the course of professional practice."

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

In essence, this bill amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act regarding products containing ephedrine. It exempts certain over-the-counter products with ephedrine from specific restrictions if they comply with federal labeling standards, are legitimately manufactured and distributed, and are not marketed for uses such as stimulation or weight loss. Solid oral forms must be blister-packed with no more than two tablets per pack, and anorectal forms may contain up to 5% ephedrine. Violations incur a Class A misdemeanor, escalating to a Class 4 felony for repeat offenses. The bill does not apply to natural products containing ephedrine below 15% or to prescriptions dispensed by authorized practitioners. The Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act remains unaffected. This amendment becomes effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Martha Deuter has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.

Deuter graduated from Ohio University in 1995 with a BSW.

Martha Deuter is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 45th House District. She replaced previous state representative Jenn Ladisch Douglass in 2025.

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
HB2874	02/05/2025	Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that the law concerning limitations on the over-the-counter sale of ephedrine without a prescription does not apply to the sale of any product dispensed or delivered by a practitioner or pharmacy according to a prescription issued by a prescriber authorized by the State or another state for a valid medical purpose and in the course of professional practice.
HB2775	02/05/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an issuer of a Medicare supplement policy shall not deny coverage to an applicant who voluntarily switches from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Medicare plan under Parts A, B, or D, or any combination of those plans, so long as the application for a Medicare supplement policy is submitted within 30 calendar days after the first effective day of the new plan. Provides that when such an application for a Medicare supplement policy is submitted, the issuer of the Medicare supplement policy may not charge a higher cost than what is normally offered to applicants who have become newly eligible for Medicare, nor raise costs or deny coverage for a preexisting condition.