Rep. Greg Harris

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a health insurer that provides prescription drug benefits shall offer generic alternatives to brand name epinephrine and insulin auto-injectors, where available. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Effective immediately.

Repeals the Rent Control Preemption Act.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall each appoint a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Compliance Officer to assist with the responsibilities of enforcing the requirements of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that group accident and health policies providing coverage for hospital or medical treatment or services for illness on an expense-incurred basis shall provide specified coverage for the diagnosis and medically necessary treatment of mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions. Provides criteria and standards for the types of treatment that constitute medically necessary treatment of mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions. Provides that an insurer shall not limit benefits or coverage for chronic or pervasive mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions to short-term treatment or to alleviating current symptoms. Provides that insurers shall perform specified actions to ensure the proper use of medical necessity criteria. Provides that if medically necessary services for mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions are not available in-network within the geography and timeliness standards, the insurer must cover out-of-network services. Provides that if the Department of Insurance determines that an insurer has failed to meet the requirements of the amendatory Act, it shall impose a penalty per product line with respect to each beneficiary. Makes other changes.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits a school district employee or volunteer or an independent contractor of a school district from placing a student in seclusion; defines seclusion. Provides that this prohibition does not apply to the use of seclusion in a court-ordered placement, other than a placement in an educational program of a school district, or in a placement or facility to which other laws or rules apply. Requires State Board of Education rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Human Service and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to collaborate to develop a standardized format for specified data collection and registration no later than January 1, 2022. Provides that development of the standardized format shall be conducted in collaboration with behavioral and mental health providers throughout the State, specified stakeholders, and entities with expertise in federal requirements and form development. Provides that the Department of Human Service and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services must comply with the new standardized format within 6 months after its date of completion. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Statute on Statutes. Provides that, in determining the meaning of any statute or rule or interpretation by the various administrative agencies of this State, for purposes of determining eligibility for any veterans benefit available from the State, the words "honorable discharge" and "honorably discharged" include a discharge under other than honorable conditions due to post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, status as a survivor of sexual assault or harassment, LGBTQ-related issues, or mental health issues, but do not include a bad conduct discharge or a dishonorable discharge.

Creates the Health Care Affordability Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Insurance, to conduct a feasibility study to explore options to make health insurance more affordable for Illinois residents. The study shall follow best practices by other states to establish an Illinois-specific actuarial and economic analysis of demographic and market dynamics. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Insurance, shall develop and submit a proposal to the General Assembly and the Governor concerning the design, costs, benefits, and implementation of a State option for health care coverage that leverages existing State infrastructure.

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Nurse Practice Act, and the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. Provides that the rules adopted by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation concerning continuing education shall require that, on and after January 1, 2022, all continuing education courses for persons licensed under the Acts contain curriculum that includes the understanding of implicit bias in the practice of medicine. Provides that a continuing education course dedicated solely to research or other issues that does not include a direct patient care component is not required to contain curriculum that includes implicit bias in the practice of medicine. Specifies requirements that continuing education courses must satisfy. Effectively immediately.

Creates the Higher Education Fair Admissions Act. Provides that a public institution of higher education may not require applicants to submit standardized college admissions test scores to the institution as a part of the admissions process. Provides that the submission of standardized test scores to the institution shall be at the option of the applicant. Requires the adoption of a policy. Effective immediately.

Supports comprehensive sex education.