---
type: "Bill"
title: "INS COVER MARRIAGE THERAPISTS"
description: "Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires coverage of treatment for mental, emotional, or nervous disorders or conditions by a licensed marriage and family therapist when the insurance covers mental, emotional, or nervous disorders or conditions. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "95th"
identifier: "HB 953"
citation: "Illinois HB 953 (95th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 67
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2007-02-08"
last_action: "2008-09-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2e8271dd-faac-4125-9636-7dcc77b578be"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=953&GAID=9&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=28572&SessionID=51&GA=95"
source_hash: "737d166d1f429c75830306ec4edd4bf979824c4c66734f897880c1f732c582c7"
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 953 (95th) — INS COVER MARRIAGE THERAPISTS

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires coverage of treatment for mental, emotional, or nervous disorders or conditions by a licensed marriage and family therapist when the insurance covers mental, emotional, or nervous disorders or conditions. Effective immediately.

## 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=09500HB0953&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=28572&DocNum=953&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB0953eng&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=28572&DocNum=953&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB0953enr&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=28572&DocNum=953&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Motion — **84–29** (fail) · lower
- Motion — **50–2** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **100–7** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **48–4** (pass) · upper
- Motion — **48–57** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Carole Pankau — cosponsor (person)
- Christine Radogno — cosponsor (person)
- Dale A. Righter — cosponsor (person)
- Lou Lang — primary (person)
- Randall M. Hultgren — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2007-02-08** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Lou Lang `filing`
- **2007-02-08** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Angelo Saviano
- **2007-02-08** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Arthur L. Turner
- **2007-02-08** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary E. Flowers
- **2007-02-08** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough
- **2007-02-08** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Deborah L. Graham
- **2007-02-08** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kenneth Dunkin
- **2007-02-08** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack McGuire
- **2007-02-08** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-02-08** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-02-15** Assigned to Insurance Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-03-02** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Elga L. Jefferies
- **2007-03-02** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Harry Osterman
- **2007-03-02** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. John A. Fritchey
- **2007-03-23** Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-08-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Greg Harris
- **2007-09-11** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Tryon
- **2008-03-03** Assigned to Health Care Availability and Access Committee `referral-committee`
- **2008-03-11** Do Pass / Short Debate Health Care Availability and Access Committee; 012-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2008-03-12** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2008-03-12** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen May
- **2008-03-13** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2008-03-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2008-03-24** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mike Fortner
- **2008-04-02** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert F. Flider
- **2008-04-08** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Cynthia Soto
- **2008-04-10** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. William Davis
- **2008-04-18** Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) May 9, 2008
- **2008-05-01** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 100-007-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2008-05-01** Motion Filed to Reconsider Vote Rep. Mark H. Beaubien, Jr.
- **2008-05-01** Motion to Reconsider Vote - Lost 048-057-000
- **2008-05-07** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2008-05-07** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2008-05-07** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Mike Jacobs
- **2008-05-07** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2008-05-07** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2008-05-07** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Christine Radogno
- **2008-05-07** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Carole Pankau
- **2008-05-15** Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.
- **2008-05-15** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Jacobs
- **2008-05-15** Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 22, 2008; Substantive House Bills Out of Committee
- **2008-05-22** Assigned to Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2008-05-22** Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 31, 2008
- **2008-05-23** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2008-05-28** Do Pass Human Services; 007-001-002 `committee-passage`
- **2008-05-28** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 28, 2008
- **2008-05-28** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2008-05-28** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 29, 2008
- **2008-05-29** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Randall M. Hultgren
- **2008-05-29** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Dale A. Righter
- **2008-05-29** Third Reading - Passed; 048-004-003 `reading-3, passage`
- **2008-05-29** Passed Both Houses
- **2008-06-27** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2008-08-26** Governor Amendatory Veto `executive-veto`
- **2008-09-08** Placed on Calendar Amendatory Veto September 10, 2008
- **2008-09-08** Motion Filed Override Amendatory Veto Rep. Lou Lang; MOTION #1
- **2008-09-08** Amendatory Veto Motion - Motion Filed Accept Amendatory Veto Rep. Lou Lang; MOTION #2
- **2008-09-08** Amendatory Veto Motion - Motion Referred to Rules Committee; MOTION #2 `referral-committee`
- **2008-09-10** 3/5 Vote Required
- **2008-09-10** Override Amendatory Veto - House Passed 084-029-000; MOTION #1
- **2008-09-22** Placed on Calendar Amendatory Veto September 22, 2008
- **2008-09-22** Motion Filed Override Amendatory Veto Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.
- **2008-09-22** 3/5 Vote Required
- **2008-09-22** Override Amendatory Veto - Senate Passed 050-002-001
- **2008-09-22** Amendatory Veto Overridden Both Houses
- **2008-09-25** Effective Date September 22, 2008
- **2008-09-25** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 95-0972 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2e8271dd-faac-4125-9636-7dcc77b578be`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).