Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Defines "pathogens of epidemiological concern". Provides that each hospital shall develop and implement comprehensive interventions to prevent and control pathogens of epidemiological concern (instead of multidrug-resistant organisms) that take into consideration guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or recommendations from the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, or the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society for the management of multidrug-resistant organisms in health care settings. Within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, requires each hospital to adopt a policy for preventing and controlling the transmission of pathogens of epidemiological concern. Establishes reporting requirements for hospitals with patients carrying pathogens of epidemiological concern. Repeals the MRSA Screening and Reporting Act.
Amends the Sales Finance Agency Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Provides that applicants for a license shall apply in a form prescribed by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation. Prohibits any person, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, or other entity engaged in a business regulated by the Act from operating the business under a name other than the real names of the entity and individuals conducting the business. Grants the Secretary authority to issue a license upon completion of the specified filing and investigatory requirements. Sets forth further licensing requirements. Provides that all moneys received by the Secretary under the Act in conjunction with the provisions relating to sales finance agencies shall be paid into the Financial Institution Fund. Prohibits a sales finance agency from aiding or seeking to aid any person in the violation of the Retail Installment Sales Act or the Motor Vehicle Retail Installment Sales Act. Grants additional investigatory, disciplinary, and examination authority to the Secretary. Establishes rulemaking provisions. Grants the Department authority to adopt rules to provide for review within the Department of the Secretary's decisions affecting the rights of persons or entities under the Act. Allows the Secretary to request a circuit court to assess a civil penalty of up to $10,000 (rather than $1,000) for violations of the Act. Repeals various provisions of the Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' Inspector General to, at the request of the Secretary of Early Childhood, exercise one or more specified statutory powers as if those powers related to the Department of Early Childhood. Requires the Inspector General to report his or her findings to the Secretary of Early Childhood.
Creates the Diaper Labeling Act. Provides that, no later than 12 months after the effective date of the Act, each package or box containing diapers sold in the State shall contain a plain and conspicuous printed list of all ingredients in order of predominance that shall either be printed on the package or box or affixed to the package or box. Provides for a civil penalty of 1% of a violator's total annual in-State sales of diapers not to exceed $1,000 per package or box. Defines "ingredient" and "diaper".
Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Makes changes to findings and defined terms provisions. Provides that a hospital shall not deny any protection or benefit of the Act on the basis of a patient's citizenship or immigration status or assets or prospective assets. Provides that a patient who inquires about a denial of financial assistance in whole or in part must be permitted to appeal the decision within at least 90 days. Requires a hospital to use only a uniform financial assistance form developed and provided by the Attorney General no later than December 31, 2026. Provides that every hospital bill and every collection notice must notify the patient, in the patient's preferred language, of the availability of hospital financial assistance and charity care. Establishes further provisions concerning hospitals pursuing collection actions; outsourced health care services; patient responsibilities; and applicability of the Act. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Sets forth provisions concerning uninsured patient discounts for specified income levels. Prohibits hospitals from making the availability of a discount under the Act contingent upon the uninsured patient first applying for coverage under public health insurance programs. Provides that patients may not be denied a discount under the Act on the basis of citizenship or immigration status or assets or prospective assets. Makes other changes concerning uninsured patient discounts, outsourcing health care services, and patient responsibilities. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that certain provisions concerning the recomputation and adjustment of a school district claim for general State aid or evidence-based funding shall end with Fiscal Year 2026. Provides that when a child from an orphanage, foster family home, other State agency, children's home, or State residential unit eligible for special education services is placed in a separate public day school, that school shall meet the programmatic requirements and regulations for separate public day schools. Provides that any funds appropriated for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program must be used, among other purposes, for indirect costs necessary for Program operation. Provides that an annual retention bonus of up to $4,000 (rather than $4,000) per year for 2 consecutive years shall be awarded to National Board certified teachers employed in hard-to-staff schools and such funds must be disbursed equally on an annual basis among all qualified educators (rather than on a first-come, first-served basis). Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Establishes a process for a tenant in common or tenants in common who have inherited real property under the intestate provisions of the Probate Act of 1975 to obtain legal title to that property. Provides that the petitioner or petitioners must have been in actual possession for 7 years and have paid all taxes on the property during those 7 years. Requires that the petitioner or petitioners must file a signed declaration with the recorder of deeds at least 2 years before an action under the new provisions may be commenced stating intent to acquire title using the process under the new provisions, send notice to any other person or persons with an ownership interest in the property, and publish a notice of the action in a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction where the property is located. Permits persons with ownership to oppose the petition. Makes other changes.
Amends the Know Before You Owe Private Education Loan Act. Provides that the annual report to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Student Loan Ombudsman shall include the total number and dollar amount (instead of the volume) of private education loans made annually by a private educational lender, the total number and dollar amount (instead of the volume) of private education loans made annually at institutions of higher education, the total number and dollar amount of private education loans made annually with a cosigner, and the default rate for the private education loans reported by the private educational lender pursuant to specified provisions for the previous reporting period. Effective immediately.
Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Changes the repeal date of the Radiation Protection Act of 1990 from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2037. Effective immediately.
Amends the Crematory Regulation Act. Authorizes the Comptroller to issue citations or fines, or both, to licensees. Requires a cemetery authority to implement (i) a standard operating procedure and provide a copy to all employees; and (ii) a medical waste management plan. Authorizes the Comptroller to impose a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each violation under the Act. Allows the Comptroller to refuse to issue a license or take disciplinary action if the applicant or licensee has failed to pay delinquent taxes or child support. Requires the Comptroller, upon revocation or suspension of a license, to notify the county coroner or medical examiner who is responsible for the area where the crematory is located to immediately make arrangements to take possession of bodies and cremated remains and arrange for final disposition of any decedents in the possession of the suspended licensee after consulting with the authorized agents for those bodies. Provides that if no authorized agent can be contacted, the county coroner or medical examiner shall take possession of bodies and cremated remains within 72 hours of notification from the Comptroller. Requires a crematory authority to perform a cremation no more than 60 days from the date the human remains have been delivered to it unless the crematory authority has received specific instructions to the contrary on its cremation authorization form. Requires the crematory authority to notify the Comptroller and the coroner or medical examiner in the county in which the death occurred as to why the cremation cannot be performed if it is not done within the 60-day period. Provides that pacemakers do not need to be removed in alkaline hydrolysis cremations. Requires that cremated remains must be stored in a place free from exposure to the elements and be responsibly maintained until disposal. Makes other changes. Amends the Cemetery Care Act. Provides that if a cemetery authority owning or operating a privately owned cemetery has accepted care funds and is considered abandoned or seeks dissolution, it allows, if no receiver is available, a circuit court to order a willing unit of local government to take over the cemetery. Makes other changes.
Amends the Illinois Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Defines "grandfathered health plan". Provides that, except for grandfathered health plans, a health insurance issuer in the individual, small group, or large group market shall not deny coverage to an individual or employer due to the individual's or employer's failure to pay premiums owed under a prior policy, certificate, or contract of insurance. Specifies that nothing in the provisions concerning past-due premiums prohibits a health insurance issuer from pursuing the collection of past-due premiums from an individual or employer by any other means permitted by law. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2027, the exclusion amount shall be the applicable exclusion amount calculated under Section 2010 of the Internal Revenue Code as that Section exists on the effective date of the amendatory Act, including the inflation adjustment and including any deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (currently, the exclusion amount for Illinois estate tax purposes is $4,000,000). Effective immediately.
