(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-432)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2027)

1. (a) The Department may refuse to issue or to renew, or may revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand, or take other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action with regard to any license issued under this Act as the Department may deem proper, including the issuance of fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, for any one or combination of the following causes:

   1. (1) Material misstatement in furnishing information to the Department.
   2. (2) Violations of this Act, or the rules adopted under this Act.

   3. (3) Conviction by plea of guilty or nolo contendere, finding of guilt, jury verdict, or entry of judgment or sentencing, including, but not limited to, convictions, preceding sentences of supervision, conditional discharge, or first offender probation, under the laws of any jurisdiction of the United States that is:

      1. (i) a felony; or
      2. (ii) a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty, or that is directly related to the practice of the profession.
   4. (4) Making any misrepresentation for the purpose of obtaining licenses.
   5. (5) Professional incompetence.
   6. (6) Aiding or assisting another person in violating any provision of this Act or its rules.
   7. (7) Failing, within 60 days, to provide information in response to a written request made by the Department.
   8. (8) Engaging in dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct, as defined by rule, of a character likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public.
   9. (9) Habitual or excessive use or addiction to alcohol, narcotics, stimulants, or any other chemical agent or drug that results in a midwife's inability to practice with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety.
   10. (10) Discipline by another U.S. jurisdiction or foreign nation, if at least one of the grounds for discipline is the same or substantially equivalent to those set forth in this Section.
   11. (11) Directly or indirectly giving to or receiving from any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association any fee, commission, rebate or other form of compensation for any professional services not actually or personally rendered. Nothing in this paragraph affects any bona fide independent contractor or employment arrangements, including provisions for compensation, health insurance, pension, or other employment benefits, with persons or entities authorized under this Act for the provision of services within the scope of the licensee's practice under this Act.
   12. (12) A finding by the Department that the licensee, after having his or her license placed on probationary status, has violated the terms of probation.
   13. (13) Abandonment of a patient.
   14. (14) Willfully making or filing false records or reports in his or her practice, including, but not limited to, false records filed with state agencies or departments.
   15. (15) Willfully failing to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
   16. (16) Physical illness, or mental illness or impairment that results in the inability to practice the profession with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety, including, but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process or loss of motor skill.
   17. (17) Being named as a perpetrator in an indicated report by the Department of Children and Family Services under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the licensee has caused a child to be an abused child or neglected child as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
   18. (18) Gross negligence resulting in permanent injury or death of a patient.
   19. (19) Employment of fraud, deception, or any unlawful means in applying for or securing a license as a licensed certified professional midwife.
   20. (21) Immoral conduct in the commission of any act, including sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, or sexual exploitation related to the licensee's practice.
   21. (22) Violation of the Health Care Worker Self-Referral Act.
   22. (23) Practicing under a false or assumed name, except as provided by law.
   23. (24) Making a false or misleading statement regarding his or her skill or the efficacy or value of the medicine, treatment, or remedy prescribed by him or her in the course of treatment.
   24. (25) Allowing another person to use his or her license to practice.
   25. (26) Prescribing, selling, administering, distributing, giving, or self-administering a drug classified as a controlled substance for purposes other than medically accepted therapeutic purposes.
   26. (27) Promotion of the sale of drugs, devices, appliances, or goods provided for a patient in a manner to exploit the patient for financial gain.
   27. (28) A pattern of practice or other behavior that demonstrates incapacity or incompetence to practice under this Act.
   28. (29) Violating State or federal laws, rules, or regulations relating to controlled substances or other legend drugs or ephedra as defined in the Ephedra Prohibition Act.
   29. (30) Failure to establish and maintain records of patient care and treatment as required by law.
   30. (31) Attempting to subvert or cheat on the examination of the North American Registry of Midwives or its successor agency.
   31. (32) Willfully or negligently violating the confidentiality between licensed certified professional midwives and patient, except as required by law.
   32. (33) Willfully failing to report an instance of suspected abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or self-neglect of an eligible adult as defined in and required by the Adult Protective Services Act.
   33. (34) Being named as an abuser in a verified report by the Department on Aging under the Adult Protective Services Act and upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the licensee abused, neglected, or financially exploited an eligible adult as defined in the Adult Protective Services Act.
   34. (35) Failure to report to the Department an adverse final action taken against him or her by another licensing jurisdiction of the United States or a foreign state or country, a peer review body, a health care institution, a professional society or association, a governmental agency, a law enforcement agency, or a court.
   35. (36) Failure to provide copies of records of patient care or treatment, except as required by law.
   36. (37) Failure of a licensee to report to the Department surrender by the licensee of a license or authorization to practice in another state or jurisdiction or current surrender by the licensee of membership professional association or society while under disciplinary investigation by any of those authorities or bodies for acts or conduct similar to acts or conduct that would constitute grounds for action under this Section.
   37. (38) Failing, within 90 days, to provide a response to a request for information in response to a written request made by the Department by certified or registered mail or by email to the email address of record.
   38. (39) Failure to supervise a midwife assistant or student midwife including, but not limited to, allowing a midwife assistant or student midwife to exceed their scope.
   39. (40) Failure to adequately inform a patient about their malpractice liability insurance coverage and the policy limits of the coverage.
   40. (41) Failure to submit an annual report to the Department of Public Health.
   41. (42) Failure to disclose active cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification or neonatal resuscitation provider status to clients.
   42. (43) Engaging in one of the prohibited practices provided for in Section 85 of this Act.
2. (b) The Department may, without a hearing, refuse to issue or renew or may suspend the license of any person who fails to file a return, or to pay the tax, penalty, or interest shown in a filed return, or to pay any final assessment of the tax, penalty, or interest as required by any tax Act administered by the Department of Revenue, until the requirements of any such tax Act are satisfied.
3. (c) The determination by a circuit court that a licensee is subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission as provided in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code operates as an automatic suspension. The suspension will end only upon a finding by a court that the patient is no longer subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission and issues an order so finding and discharging the patient, and upon the recommendation of the Board to the Secretary that the licensee be allowed to resume his or her practice.

4. (d) In enforcing this Section, the Department, upon a showing of a possible violation, may compel an individual licensed to practice under this Act, or who has applied for licensure under this Act, to submit to a mental or physical examination, or both, including a substance abuse or sexual offender evaluation, as required by and at the expense of the Department.

   The Department shall specifically designate the examining physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or, if applicable, the multidisciplinary team involved in providing the mental or physical examination or both. The multidisciplinary team shall be led by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches and may consist of one or more or a combination of physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, licensed clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed clinical professional counselors, and other professional and administrative staff. Any examining physician or member of the multidisciplinary team may require any person ordered to submit to an examination pursuant to this Section to submit to any additional supplemental testing deemed necessary to complete any examination or evaluation process, including, but not limited to, blood testing, urinalysis, psychological testing, or neuropsychological testing.

   The Department may order the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team to provide to the Department any and all records, including business records, that relate to the examination and evaluation, including any supplemental testing performed.

   The Department may order the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team to present testimony concerning the mental or physical examination of the licensee or applicant. No information, report, record, or other documents in any way related to the examination shall be excluded by reason of any common law or statutory privilege relating to communications between the licensee or applicant and the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team. No authorization is necessary from the licensee or applicant ordered to undergo an examination for the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team to provide information, reports, records, or other documents or to provide any testimony regarding the examination and evaluation.

   The individual to be examined may have, at his or her own expense, another physician of his or her choice present during all aspects of this examination. However, that physician shall be present only to observe and may not interfere in any way with the examination.

   Failure of an individual to submit to a mental or physical examination, when ordered, shall result in an automatic suspension of his or her license until the individual submits to the examination.

   If the Department finds an individual unable to practice because of the reasons set forth in this Section, the Department may require that individual to submit to care, counseling, or treatment by physicians approved or designated by the Department, as a condition, term, or restriction for continued, reinstated, or renewed licensure to practice; or, in lieu of care, counseling, or treatment, the Department may file a complaint to immediately suspend, revoke, or otherwise discipline the license of the individual. An individual whose license was granted, continued, reinstated, renewed, disciplined, or supervised subject to such terms, conditions, or restrictions, and who fails to comply with such terms, conditions, or restrictions, shall be referred to the Secretary for a determination as to whether the individual shall have his or her license suspended immediately, pending a hearing by the Department.

   In instances in which the Secretary immediately suspends a person's license under this Section, a hearing on that person's license must be convened by the Department within 30 days after the suspension and completed without appreciable delay. The Department shall have the authority to review the subject individual's record of treatment and counseling regarding the impairment to the extent permitted by applicable federal statutes and regulations safeguarding the confidentiality of medical records.

   An individual licensed under this Act and affected under this Section shall be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate to the Department that he or she can resume practice in compliance with acceptable and prevailing standards under the provisions of his or her license.

(Source: P.A. 102-683, eff. 10-1-22; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)