# Illinois HB4490: OPERATING ROOM SAFETY ACT

Illinois HB4490, OPERATING ROOM SAFETY ACT, is a 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) House bill sponsored by Barbara Hernandez (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-03-27 (Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4490-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Illinois HB4490
- State: Illinois
- Session: 104th General Assembly (2025–2026)
- Title: OPERATING ROOM SAFETY ACT
- Status: in committee
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-20
- Last action: 2026-03-27, Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
- Sponsor: Barbara Hernandez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 12
- Subjects: health care licenses
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2028 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that health care facilities located in a Health Professional Shortage Area or Medically Underserved Area, as determined by the federal government, shall be exempt as provided but shall have a hiring preference for surgical technologists who graduated from nationally accredited surgical technology programs and are certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the National Center for Competency Testing. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a person licensed in the State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which the person is licensed, including, but not limited to, a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a nurse performing surgery-related tasks within the scope of the nurse's license or registration; or a student or intern from performing surgical technology services under direct supervision, as defined in the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Barbara Hernandez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Aarón M. Ortíz (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dagmara Avelar (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Janet Yang Rohr (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Katie Stuart (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Lilian Jiménez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Mary Gill (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Maura Hirschauer (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Michael Crawford (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Michelle Mussman (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Rick Ryan (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Stephanie A. Kifowit (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Theresa Mah (Democratic), House

## Actions (17)

- 2026-03-27: Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee (House)
- 2026-02-24: Assigned to Health Care Licenses Committee (House)
- 2026-02-24: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Aarón M. Ortíz (House)
- 2026-02-24: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lilian Jiménez (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Katie Stuart (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary Gill (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maura Hirschauer (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah (House)
- 2026-02-18: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (House)
- 2026-02-17: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar (House)
- 2026-02-11: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford (House)
- 2026-02-02: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Rick Ryan (House)
- 2026-01-20: Referred to Rules Committee (House)
- 2026-01-20: First Reading (House)
- 2026-01-20: Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Barbara Hernandez (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4490.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS (passed house)
- SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS (passed senate)
- HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY (in committee)
- HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT (in committee)
- SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL (passed senate)
- SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION (signed)

## Sources
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4490.pdf)

## Related
- [HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB5198-2025-2026)
- [SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB1937-2025-2026)
- [HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2563-2025-2026)
- [HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4701-2025-2026)
- [SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3008-2025-2026)
- [SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3484-2025-2026)
- [Illinois bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois/bills)
- [Illinois state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4490-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).