Rep. Kelly Cassidy

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall implement a project to be called the Renewable Energy Pay As You Save Program. Provides for the purpose and requirements of the Program. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall convene a workshop process during which interested participants may discuss issues related to the Program. Provides that each applicable electric utility shall submit an informational filing to the Commission that describes its plan for implementing provisions regarding the Program. Provides that electric utilities shall work with lenders selected pursuant to a request for proposals process and with vendors to establish the terms and processes under which a participant can purchase eligible renewable energy generation and energy storage systems using the financing obtained from a lender through a financing program designed to fit the Pay As You Save model. Provides further requirements concerning the establishment of financing programs based upon the Pay As You Save model. Provides that the Commission shall adopt all rules necessary for administration. Effective immediately.

Declares April 2, 2019 as Pay Equity Day.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Removes language exempting retail customers of an electric utility that serves more than 3,000,000 retail customers in the State and whose total highest 30-minute demand was more than 10,000 kilowatts and retail customers of an electric utility that serves less than 3,000,000 retail customers but more than 500,000 retail customers in the State and whose total highest 15-minute demand was more than 10,000 kilowatts from certain provisions concerning energy efficiency and demand-response measures. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires Medicaid managed care organizations to verify payer source using the Medical Electronic Data Interchange (MEDI) System, or its successor, prior to denying a claim for services provided to a nursing home resident not assigned to the managed care organization on the most recent patient credit file. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to grant Medicaid managed care organizations access to MEDI, or its successor, for the purpose of verifying payer source and resident liability. Effective immediately.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that, with respect to firefighters and emergency medical technicians, a contagious staph infection, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), is rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of employment. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Hospital Patient Protection Act. Provides for minimum direct care registered professional nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, and ambulatory surgical treatment centers. Sets forth essential functions of direct care registered professional nurses relating to hospital patient care. Sets forth certain rights of direct care registered professional nurses, including the rights to protected speech and patient advocacy. Prohibits a hospital, long-term acute care hospital, and ambulatory surgical treatment center from interfering with a nurse's exercise of those rights, and prohibits other retaliatory or discriminatory action by a hospital. Provides for monetary and equitable relief for violations of the Act, and provides for civil penalties. Requires a hospital, long-term acute care hospital, and ambulatory surgical treatment center to post certain provisions of the Act for review by the hospital's employees and patients and by the public. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act and the Nurse Practice Act to provide that in the case of a conflict between a provision of either of those Acts and a provision of the Hospital Patient Protection Act, the Hospital Patient Protection Act shall control. Effective January 1, 2020.

Amends the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.