Senate GOP backs ban on ephedra

Legislation banning the kind of ephedra products that have been blamed for the death of a 16-year-old central Illinois football player, and a measure that will help limit telemarketing calls are among the bills acted on by the Illinois Senate during the week of May 12-16, according to a release from Senate Republicans.

May 16 was the deadline for action on bills introduced in the House being considered by the Senate, but that deadline has been extended.

Legislation banning the sale of ephedra products is one step away from becoming law, in part thanks to the efforts of Kevin Riggins of Lincoln, who has fought to ban the products following the death of his son last year, the Senate Republican release said.

Senate Bill 1418 prohibits the sale of any dietary supplement containing any quantity of ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids, except for any product that receives explicit approval by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as safe and effective for its intended use or is lawfully marketed under an over-the-counter monograph issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

The bill creates a Class A misdemeanor for a first-time violation of the Act and a Class 3 felony, which would carry an average sentence of 12 months, for a subsequent violation.

The bill was approved by the Senate 56-0 on March 20, and passed the House 117-0 on May 15. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has indicated his intent to sign the legislation into law, according to the Senate Republican press release.

The Senate also approved legislation May 13 that will help limit the number of telemarketing calls by giving consumers access to a free no-call registry. The Illinois Restricted Call Registry Act lawmakers approved last year was set to be implemented by the Illinois Commerce Commission this year, allowing customers to be listed on a no-call registry for a $5 fee. However, the Federal Trade Commission is now giving consumers access to a free national "do not call" registry. The Federal Trade Commission will announce information about registration in June. House Bill 3407 now returns to the House for concurrence in changes made to the legislation in the Senate.