Amends the Governor Transition Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the orderly transition of the office of Governor.
Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning a school finance authority. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/34A-104 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.176 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. Provides that on or before January 1, 2023, the State Board of Education shall create a model curriculum that may be used by school districts for the teaching of the Vietnamese and Laotian American refugee experience and a model curriculum on the Cambodian genocide. Provides that the curricula must be developed in an age-appropriate manner for instruction in kindergarten through grade 12; specifies other curriculum requirements. Effective immediately. Fiscal Note, House Committee Amendment No. 1 (State Board of Education) House Bill 3638 (H-AM 1) is estimated to have a fiscal impact of $220,000 on the Illinois State Board of Education's (ISBE) General Revenue Fund budget. It is estimated that each model curriculum will cost $110,000 to create the content. For development of each curriculum, ISBE assumes it will pay teachers a $30 per hour stipend for approximately 1,620 hours of work for a total of $48,600. An additional $61,400 is assumed for each curriculum for other personnel costs, materials, printing, travel, meeting expenses, video production, and creation of other content. State Mandates Fiscal Note, House Committee Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State mandate.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Require managed care organizations (MCOs) to ensure (i) that contracted providers shall be paid for any medically necessary service rendered to any of the MCO's enrollees, regardless of inclusion on the MCO's published and publicly available roster of available providers; and (ii) that all contracted providers are contained on an updated roster within 7 days of entering into a contract with the MCO and that such roster be readily accessible by all medical assistance enrollees for purposes of selecting an approved healthcare provider. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop a single standard list of all additional clinical information that shall be considered essential information and may be requested from a hospital to adjudicate a claim. Provides that a provider shall not be required to submit additional information, justifying medical necessity, for a service which has previously received a service authorization by the MCO or its agent. Contains provisions concerning a timely payment interest penalty; an expedited provider payment schedule; a single list of standard codes to identify the reason for nonpayment on a claim; payments under the Department's fee-for-service system; a 90-day correction period for providers to correct errors or omissions in a payment claim; service authorization requests; discharge notification and facility placement; and other matters. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that a provider who has exhausted the written internal appeals process of a managed care organization (MCO) shall be entitled to an external independent third-party review of the MCO's final decision that denies, in whole or in part, a health care service to an enrollee or a claim for reimbursement to a provider for a health care service rendered to an enrollee of the Medicaid managed care organization. Requires an MCO's final decision letter to a provider to include: (i) a statement that the provider's internal appeal rights within the MCO have been exhausted; (ii) a statement that the provider is entitled to an external independent third-party review; (iii) the time period granted to request an external independent third-party review; and (iv) the mailing address to initiate an external independent third-party review. Provides that a party shall be entitled to appeal a final decision of the external independent third-party review within 30 days after the date upon which the appealing party receives the external independent third-party review. Provides that a final decision by the Director of Healthcare and Family Services shall be final and reviewable under the Administrative Review Law. Contains provisions concerning fees to help defray the cost of the administrative hearings; the specific claims of services that are appealable; and the Department's rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.
Amends the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act. Provides that the State Police shall by rule establish a sexual assault evidence tracking system that conforms to the recommendations made by the Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking and Reporting Commission in its report dated June 26, 2018. Provides that the Department of State Police shall design the criteria for the sexual assault evidence tracking system so that, to the extent reasonably possible, the system can use existing technologies and products. Provides that the sexual assault evidence tracking system shall be operational no later than than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that a treatment hospital, a treatment hospital with approved pediatric transfer, an out-of-state hospital approved by the Department of Public Health to receive transfers of Illinois sexual assault survivors, or an approved pediatric health care facility must comply with rules relating to the collection and tracking of sexual assault evidence adopted by the Department of State Police. Provides for the operations of the sexual assault tracking system to be funded by appropriations from the State Crime Laboratory Fund, together with asset forfeiture and other funds appropriated by the General Assembly. Authorizes emergency rulemaking. Exempts information in the sexual assault evidence tracking system from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act, and the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill. Adds requirements and recommendations of the report created by the Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking and Reporting Commission issued on June 26, 2018 for implementation of the sexual assault evidence tracking system. Effective immediately.
Commends Dr. Steven B. Nasatir on his more than four decades of leadership and service within the Chicago Jewish community, where he has always acted with great care and integrity, following the principle of Kol Yisrael arevim zeh l'zeh - we take care of each other.
Commends Dr. Steven B. Nasatir on his more than four decades of leadership and service within the Chicago Jewish community.
Amends the University of Illinois Scientific Surveys Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, no later than December 1, 2020, the Illinois State Water Survey, in coordination with the Department of Public Health, must issue a report evaluating the setting of water rates throughout Illinois; specifies report requirements. Provides that in developing the report, the Illinois State Water Survey shall form an advisory committee; provides for the committee's membership. Provides that no later than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Illinois State Water Survey must provide an opportunity for public comment on the questions to be addressed in the report, the metrics to be used, and the recommendations that need to be issued. Repeals the provision on January 1, 2021. Effective immediately.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a committed person who is at least 50 years of age and who has served at least 30 consecutive years of imprisonment in a Department of Corrections institution or facility may petition the Department for participation in the Pathway to Community Program, which is a 5-year pilot program within the Department of Corrections. Provides that a maximum of 15 males and a maximum of 15 females may be selected for the Program. Excludes from the Program persons convicted of first degree murder of a peace officer or firefighter and sexual predators. Establishes eligibility requirements for the Program. Provides that before a participant is selected for the Program, the petitioner shall successfully complete an atonement and restorative justice program prepared by the Department. Following completion of this program of atonement and restorative justice, the Department shall notify the victim and the family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense and to afford them the opportunity to participate in the Department's final selection process for the Pathway to Community Program. Up to $1,000 of trauma-informed victim services or trauma-certified professional therapy shall be provided by the Department to family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense. Provides that optional participation by family members of the victim of petitioner's offense shall be provided by the Department at no cost to the family members of the victim. Provides that time served in the Program shall be credited toward time served on the sentence. Provides that the Program is terminated 6 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Correctional Note (Dept of Corrections) The impact of this legislation on the Department will depend on how many offenders would be accepted into and complete the Pathway to Community Program, how many offenders would receive executive clemency, how many staff are needed to meet the requirements outlined in this legislation, how victims and their families respond, and how fiscal needs will be met. Therefore, the fiscal impact on the Department is unknown. The correctional population impact is also unknown since program participants must petition for Governor clemency to receive an early release from prison based on their progress through the program. Also, though participants may be released from prison before their expected parole or mandatory supervised release date, the end date of their supervised release period does not change, leaving the offender under the jurisdiction of the Department for the entirety of their sentence. Second, House Bill 2400 does not specify the components of an atonement and restorative adjustment program. The Department does not currently operate such a program. In addition, Department efforts are presently focusing on evidence-based programs. Therefore, an atonement and restorative adjustment program would have to be created, or acquired, and this will result in costs for program development and/or acquisition. Staff would have to develop a research design necessary to implement a program with a potentially high success rate for older offenders who have been incarcerated for many years, and then develop and study the specific components. Among many undertakings, staff would have to be trained; selection criteria and methods would have to be developed; policies would be written; means to measure if offenders have demonstrated reform, changed behavior, remorse, and the ability to socialize; renunciation of criminal activity and gang affiliation would have to be identified; and outcome measures would have to be constructed. Moreover, this legislation specifies that offenders must participate for 5 years; however, there is no indication in House Bill 2400 as written for the justification for mandating that time period. The costs for these responsibilities, as well as costs for acquisition of licensed curriculum and supplies, if available, are unknown at this time. Third, House Bill 2400 stipulates that, following completion of this program of atonement and restorative justice, the Department shall make an exhaustive effort to find and notify family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense and to afford them the opportunity to participate in the Department's final selection process for the Pathway to Community Program. This presents numerous logistical problems for Department staff. Records are very old, and documents may not identify victims by name or where to contact them after more than 30 years. Department staff currently struggle to get victim information from the courts. Many victims' families would have to be contacted, and if found, may not want to participate in any activities with the offenders, relive the memories, or even be identified at all. Many victims want absolutely nothing to do with their offenders. Correctional staff do not treat victims; there are no staff to perform any necessary therapeutic services to victims. If the victims refuse this service, the Department is unsure if it would be mandated to withhold the program if a victim chooses not to participate. Despite efforts made by centralized program staff, as well as the facility staff, Victims Services is already inundated with work related to assisting the victims of Illinois' 39,000 inmates and 27,000 parolees. current Victim Services staff would not be able to assist in meeting House Bill 2400 provisions. The Department estimates this program would need to be implemented In two facilities, one for males and one for females. The Department also estimates two additional staff members would need to be employed at each facility where Pathway programs are implemented, one to assist in Victim Services and one to assist in the administrative tasks of the program. Staff are estimated at an annual cost of $100,000 each for salary and benefits. Fourth, House Bill 2400 provides that up to $1,000 of trauma-informed victim services or traumacertified professional therapy must be provided by the Department to family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense. Insurance policies of the family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense or family members' financial resources shall first be used to pay the costs of these services or therapy. Optional participation by family members of the victim of petitioner's offense would be provided by the Department at no cost to the family members of the victim. The impact of these fiscal constraints on the Department cannot be identified until the program is implemented, though the number of victims this legislation may address is unknown, and potentially quite large. Therefore, the fiscal impact on the Department is unknown. The correctional population impact is also unknown as offenders are not eligible for early release until granted clemency by the Governor based on petitions filed and an offender's program progress, a process that cannot be initiated until more than 5 years after enactment. The Department currently lacks the resources, training, curriculum, victim information, and funding to enact this proposal. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes provision that the Department of Corrections may enter an order releasing and discharging a participant in the Pathway to Community Program from mandatory supervised release if it determines that he or she is likely to remain at liberty without committing another offense.
Amends the Counties Code. In provisions concerning winds farms and electric-generating wind devices, makes the provisions applicable even if a county has or has not formed a zoning commission and adopted formal zoning. Clarifies that only a county may establish standards for wind farms, electric-generating wind devices, and commercial wind energy facilities in unincorporated areas of the county outside of the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality and the 1.5 mile radius surrounding the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that only a county may establish standards for wind farms outside the 1.5 mile radius (rather than in the 1.5 mile radius) surrounding the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality.
