Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the reinstatement of a lapsed Professional Educator License upon the payment by the applicant of the lesser of a $100 penalty or a $10 penalty for each year the license has lapsed (rather than a $500 penalty). Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Removes a requirement that the Department of Human Services must report quarterly to the Governor and the General Assembly on certain expenditures under the WIC nutrition program. Amends the Capital Spending Accountability Law. Provides that reports on capital spending are due on or before the forty-fifth day after the end of each quarter (currently, the first day of each quarter). Amends the State Finance Act to eliminate a report on certain transfers. Amends the Higher Education Veterans Service Act to eliminate a requirement that certain survey results must be posted on an Internet website. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections concerning the DNA testing backlog. Effective immediately.
Amends the Nurse Agency Licensing Act. Defines "covenant not to compete". Changes the definition of "Department" to the Department of Public Health (rather than the Department or Labor). Changes the definitions of "health care facility" and "nurse". Provides that in an application for licensure under the Act: a limited liability company may apply; evidence of general professional liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000 (instead of $500,000) is required per incident and $3,000,000 (instead of $1,000,000) is required for workers' compensation coverage; and there is an application fee of $2,000. Provides that collected fees shall be deposited in the State treasury and credited to the Nursing Dedicated and Professional Fund. Provides that for the renewal of licensure, the licensee shall submit an attestation detailing the number of contracted shifts, number of shifts missed, and number of shifts fulfilled for the 3 quarters preceding the application. Provides that an application for a license may be denied for the failure to develop and implement contingency staffing plans to minimize missed shifts. Provides that nurse agencies who knowingly employ, assign, or refer to a health care facility a nurse or certified nurse aid with an illegally or fraudulently obtained or issued diploma, registration, license, certificate, or background study constitutes negligent hiring and is grounds for suspension, revocation, or refusal to issue or renew a license. Provides that the Department shall establish updated minimum standards. Provides that nurse agencies are prohibited from entering into covenants not to compete with nurses and certified nurse aides. Provides that a nurse agency's maximum rate for services provided to a health care facility by a nurse or certified nurse aide may not exceed 130% of the regional average hourly wage for each staffing position. Provides that the Department shall establish a system of reporting complaints against a health care staffing agency or its employees. Increases the civil penalty for violation of the Act to $10,000 per occurrence (currently $1,000 per day for each violation). Makes other changes.
Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that for the purpose of making up any deficiency in the appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act, there is appropriated, on a continuing annual basis in each fiscal year, from the General Revenue Fund to the Court of Claims, the amount, if any, by which the total appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for the fiscal year is less than the amount required for the payment of claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for that fiscal year. Provides that the amount of any continuing appropriation used by the Court of Claims under the amendatory Act for a given fiscal year shall be charged against the unexpended amount of any appropriation for line of duty awards to the Court of Claims for that fiscal year that subsequently becomes available. Requires the Court of Claims to report to the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget on any continuing appropriation that is used at the conclusion of a fiscal year. Effective immediately.
Appropriates $500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Family Services, for grants to the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Cook County to advocate for the timely placement of children in permanent, safe, and stable homes. Effective July 1, 2021.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop a program designed to provide over-the-phone academic detailing and clinical consultation from a qualified provider to behavioral health providers and providers in academic medical settings who need assistance on how best to care for patients with a severe mental illness or a developmental disability. Requires the Department to track all inpatient and residential detoxification and treatment beds that are available for medical assistance beneficiaries and for provider referrals. Requires the Department to record provider trainings and publish the trainings online within one month of the training, whenever feasible, to be available on demand for staff who are unable to attend. Provides that beginning on January 1, 2023, the Department shall cover services rendered by virtual peer support specialists under the medical assistance program for behavioral health and substance use support. Requires the Department and the Department of Human Services to collaborate to review coverage and billing requirements for substance use prevention and recovery and mental health services with the goal of identifying disparities and streamlining coverage and billing requirements to reduce the administrative burden for providers and medical assistance beneficiaries. Requires the Department to increase the rate for prenatal and postpartum visits to no less than the rate for an adult well visit, including any applicable add-ons, beginning on January 1, 2023. Requires the Department to evaluate the rate for external cephalic versions and increase the rate by an amount determined by the Department to promote safer birthing options for pregnant individuals, beginning on January 1, 2023.
Amends the Property Tax Code. With respect to the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, provides that, beginning in assessment year 2021, the taxpayer's household income shall be reduced by any amounts paid as Medicare premiums. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Removes a requirement that the imposition of certain non-home rule use and occupation taxes is subject to referendum approval. Effective immediately.
Congratulates Terry Cosgrove on his retirement from serving as the president and CEO of Personal PAC. Further commends him for his years of dedicated service.
Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Removes language exempting from coverage under the Act an employee of an employer subject to the provisions of Title II of the federal Railway Labor Act.
