Vella Introduces New Bill Combating Health Misinformation

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —Working to reduce the spread of inaccurate health information, state Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford, is introducing new legislation that would establish an expert team under the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to monitor and counter the spread of health misinformation damaging to Illinois residents and consumers. 

“Over the last several years, we’ve seen how quickly misinformation can spread and how dangerous it can be. When families are trying to make decisions about their health, they deserve facts,” said Vella. “We are dedicating ourselves to safeguarding people’s access to sound health information by holding accountable the bad actors who spread junk science and other falsehoods, undermining public trust in the healthcare system.”

Vella introduced House Bill 4596, which would establish the Health Misinformation Response Unit under IDPH to monitor the spread of health misinformation on social media, community forums or other web or news sources, in order to develop effective countermeasures, like public health advisories. The legislation aims to protect the credibility of real health information, during a time where so-called health decisions out of Washington are increasingly political, rather than evidence-based.

By utilizing state grants to implement health literacy programs, House Bill 4596 seeks to recruit and train messengers within the new unit to assist with communicating accurate health information to the public, while providing accurate sources for residents. This ensures that the health information sent out to the public comes directly from reviewed sources and is strictly science-based. It also establishes that entities who violate this Act will be held accountable and punished under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. 

“Illinois should be a place where residents can trust that the information coming from public health officials is accurate,” said Vella. This bill helps us respond in real time when misinformation threatens our communities.”