---
type: "Bill"
title: "DHS-MHDD-SUBSTANCE ABUSE EXAM"
description: "Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that, based on an examination of a person admitted to a facility of the Department of Human Services, the Department shall (instead of may) provide necessary medical, education, and rehabilitation services and shall (instead of may) arrange for a further assessment and referral to appropriate alcoholism or substance abuse services. Provides that the assessment and referral shall be made to a provider who is able to accept the person for referral and perform a further assessment within a clinically appropriate time."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "95th"
identifier: "HB 17"
citation: "Illinois HB 17 (95th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 35
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2006-12-05"
last_action: "2007-08-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/539ca2ac-0f30-4f95-8cdd-9009592dc43f"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=17&GAID=9&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=26610&SessionID=51&GA=95"
source_hash: "e24e3a2e739bcdb5ffd99da56e4fd9d2604d1a566e2c90e914e924684b454264"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 17 (95th) — DHS-MHDD-SUBSTANCE ABUSE EXAM

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that, based on an examination of a person admitted to a facility of the Department of Human Services, the Department shall (instead of may) provide necessary medical, education, and rehabilitation services and shall (instead of may) arrange for a further assessment and referral to appropriate alcoholism or substance abuse services. Provides that the assessment and referral shall be made to a provider who is able to accept the person for referral and perform a further assessment within a clinically appropriate time.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB0017&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=26610&DocNum=17&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB0017eng&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=26610&DocNum=17&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB0017enr&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=26610&DocNum=17&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **116–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **54–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Lou Lang — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2006-12-05** Prefiled with Clerk by Rep. Lou Lang `filing`
- **2007-01-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-01-19** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-02-07** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. LaShawn K. Ford
- **2007-02-07** Assigned to Disability Services Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-02-21** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Greg Harris
- **2007-03-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Disability Services Committee `amendment-introduction`
- **2007-03-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Disability Services Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2007-03-01** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Disability Services Committee; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2007-03-02** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2007-03-02** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. David R. Leitch
- **2007-03-02** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sandra M. Pihos
- **2007-03-02** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock
- **2007-03-13** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2007-03-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2007-03-14** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 116-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2007-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2007-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2007-03-15** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2007-03-15** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 20, 2007 `reading-1`
- **2007-03-15** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Carol Ronen
- **2007-03-20** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-03-20** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2007-03-30** Assigned to Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2007-04-18** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2007-05-10** Do Pass Human Services; 011-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2007-05-10** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 15, 2007
- **2007-05-18** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2007-05-18** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 22, 2007
- **2007-05-23** Third Reading - Passed; 054-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2007-05-23** Passed Both Houses
- **2007-06-21** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2007-08-20** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2007-08-20** Effective Date January 1, 2008
- **2007-08-20** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 95-0281 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/539ca2ac-0f30-4f95-8cdd-9009592dc43f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).