State Rep. Avelar Backs New Bill Combating Health Misinformation

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Working to reduce the spread of inaccurate health information, State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, is backing new legislation that would establish an expert team under the Illinois Department of Public Health to monitor and counter the distribution of health misinformation damaging to Illinois residents and consumers, according to a news release from her office.

“We have seen time and time again how quickly misinformation can spread, putting families and communities at risk,” Avelar said. “By creating a dedicated team to identify and respond to harmful misinformation, we are taking a proactive step to protect public health, strengthen transparency and hold bad actors accountable when they deliberately mislead consumers.”

Avelar backed 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 Bill would use state grants to implement health literacy programs, including recruiting and training messengers within the new unit to assist with communicating accurate health information to the public, while providing accurate sources for residents, according to a news release.

"This ensures that the health information sent out to the public comes directly from reviewed sources and is strictly science-based," a news release states. "It also establishes that entities who violate this Act will be held accountable and punished under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act."

“We have a responsibility to meet this challenge head-on by investing in trusted voices and credible information,” Avelar said in a release. “This legislation is about ensuring Illinois residents have access to accurate, science-based health information they can trust. We are not only correcting falsehoods, but also building a stronger foundation of health literacy so residents can make informed decisions for themselves and their families.”