SPRINGFIELD - Implicit bias training surrounding maternal health for health care workers will now be required in Illinois, thanks to a new law led by State Senator Willie Preston.

“Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related cause of deaths than white women in Illinois,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “Protecting maternal health care is about more than health care, rather it is about human rights and we must protect the rights of all mothers.”

House Bill 2517 will expand implicit bias training for health care workers in Illinois to include training in potential maternal health risk factors associated with marginalized communities with increased mortality rate.

Under Preston’s law, the training must be at least one hour that includes an understanding of the risks facing Black and Indigenous women and other marginalized communities in maternal healthcare. It will also include information on medical care plans and programs that have been demonstrated to successfully decrease maternal mortality rates and complications before and after pregnancy.

“This law ensures we are taking collective action to ensure that we support the future of our daughters and their daughters,” said Preston. “We are moving forward toward a health care system that’s more just, responsive and more compassionate for all people.”

House Bill 2517 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect July 1, 2026.