---
type: "Bill"
title: "GENETIC COUNSELOR-REFERRAL"
description: "Amends the Genetic Counselor Licensing Act. Removes language prohibiting a genetic counselor from providing genetic counseling without a referral. Makes related changes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "SB 2985"
citation: "Illinois SB 2985 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2016-02-18"
last_action: "2016-07-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/21ae3da3-7099-4260-9a01-17bdfee5823a"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2985&GAID=13&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=96312&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "d9a95a63aba1447d36570fe5a612a9fdb0bc39faab5175808bba28806dee922d"
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 SB 2985 (99th) — GENETIC COUNSELOR-REFERRAL

Amends the Genetic Counselor Licensing Act. Removes language prohibiting a genetic counselor from providing genetic counseling without a referral. Makes related changes.

## 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=09900SB2985&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96312&DocNum=2985&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB2985eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96312&DocNum=2985&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB2985enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96312&DocNum=2985&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **115–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Iris Y. Martinez — primary (person)
- Sara Feigenholtz — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2016-02-18** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Iris Y. Martinez `filing`
- **2016-02-18** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-02-18** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2016-03-08** Assigned to Licensed Activities and Pensions `referral-committee`
- **2016-03-17** Do Pass Licensed Activities and Pensions; 010-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-03-17** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 5, 2016
- **2016-04-13** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2016-04-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 14, 2016
- **2016-04-14** Third Reading - Passed; 049-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-04-14** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2016-04-15** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Daniel J. Burke
- **2016-04-15** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-04-15** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-04-18** Assigned to Health Care Licenses Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-04-22** Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Donald L. Moffitt
- **2016-04-22** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Daniel J. Burke
- **2016-04-22** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock
- **2016-04-22** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Sente
- **2016-04-22** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Norine K. Hammond
- **2016-05-04** Do Pass / Short Debate Health Care Licenses Committee; 011-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-05-04** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-05-04** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
- **2016-05-10** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2016-05-10** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-05-12** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 115-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-05-12** Passed Both Houses
- **2016-06-10** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2016-07-22** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2016-07-22** Effective Date January 1, 2017
- **2016-07-22** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0633 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/21ae3da3-7099-4260-9a01-17bdfee5823a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).