Rep. Jen Gong-Gershowitz

Amends the Right to Counsel in Immigration Proceedings Act. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings in the investigation and its recommendations for how to fully provide legal representation for covered individuals facing covered proceedings by no later than July 1, 2024 Repeals the Act July 1, 2025 (previously 2024). Effective immediately.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Provides for the repeal of the Illinois Public Accounting Act on January 1, 2029 (rather than January 1, 2024). Amends the Illinois Public Accounting Act. Provides that all applicants and registrants shall: (1) provide a valid address and email address to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which shall serve as the address of record and email address of record, respectively, at the time of application for registration or renewal of a registration and (2) inform the Department of any change of address of record or email address of record within 14 days after such change either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department's licensure maintenance unit. Provides that a license application shall have an applicant's federal individual taxpayer identification number. Provides that all CPA firms or sole practitioners required to undergo a peer review shall submit to the Department peer review reports; letters of response, if applicable; acceptance letters; letters signed by the reviewed CPA firm accepting the peer review documents with the understanding that the CPA firm agrees to take certain actions, if applicable; and letters notifying the reviewed CPA firm that certain required actions have been completed, if applicable. Provides that the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation shall appoint a full-time CPA Coordinator. Provides that the hearing officer shall report the hearing officer's findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations to the Committee (rather than to the Committee and the Secretary). Removes a provision providing that exhibits shall be certified without cost. Makes corresponding and other changes. Specifies that the changes made to the Regulatory Sunset Act take effect immediately.

Declares March 2023 as Red Cross Month and March 22, 2023 as Red Cross Giving Day. Urges everyone to join in this commitment to give to others and encourages all citizens of Illinois to support the noble efforts of the Red Cross.

Urges the Administration of President Biden to publish without delay the Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Urges Congress to pass a joint resolution affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment. Calls on other states to join in this action by passing the same or similar resolutions.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Deletes provision requiring Central Management Services to prepare and submit the total quantity of annual reports printed, the total cost, and the cost per copy and the cost per page of the annual report of the State agency printed during the calendar year covered by the report. Amends the Use Tax Act, Service Occupation Tax Act, Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and the State Finance Act. Deletes obsolete funding. Amends the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Act. Removes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity from the Act. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, Unified Code of Corrections, Workers' Compensation Act. Repeals obsolete mandates. Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that in preparing the roster of approved certified independent arbitrators, the Chairman shall seek the advice and recommendation of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission or the Workers' Compensation Advisory Board at his or her discretion. Repeals obsolete mandate. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Library System Act. Provides that it is the policy of the State to encourage the improvement of free public libraries and to encourage cooperation among all types of libraries in promoting the sharing of library resources, including digital resources, and to encourage and protect the freedom of public libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials. Provides that the State Librarian shall prescribe rules concerning the development of a written policy declaring the inherent authority of the public library or library system to prohibit the practice of banning specific books or resources. Provides that, in order to be eligible for State grants, a public library or library system shall develop a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books within the public library or library system. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning provider notification of dental plan changes, provides that no insurer, service corporation, dental service plan corporation, insurance network leasing company, or any company that issues, delivers, amends, or renews an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act that provides dental insurance may automatically enroll a provider in a leased network without the provider's written consent. Provides that any contract entered into or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act that allows the rights and obligations of the contract to be assigned or leased to another insurer shall provide for notice that informs each provider in writing via certified mail 90 days before any scheduled assignment or lease of the network to which the provider is a contracted provider (rather than shall provide notice of that assignment or lease within 30 days after the assignment or lease to the contracting dentist). Provides that an insurer, service corporation, dental service plan corporation, insurance network leasing company, or any company that issues, delivers, amends, or renews an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act that provides dental insurance that leases or assigns its network shall not cancel a network participating dentist's contractual relationship or otherwise penalize a network participating dentist in any way based on whether or not the dentist accepts the terms of the assignment or lease.

Amends the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Act. Provides that up to a $2,500 grant may also be awarded to a certified alcohol and other drug counselor and a certified recovery support specialist. In a provision concerning eligibility for the grant, provides that an applicant may also work for at least 12 consecutive months for an organization that provides community based substance abuse disorder treatment or mental health services in an underserved or rural federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in this State.

Amends the Illinois Power of Attorney Act. Provides that restricting or not allowing an interested person to have reasonable visitation with a principal is an action upon which a court may find that an agent is not acting for the benefit of the principal.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan shall deny or delay coverage for medically necessary treatment because the insured, enrollee, or beneficiary previously received any treatment, including the same or similar treatment, for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections or pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, or because the insured, enrollee, or beneficiary has been diagnosed with or receives treatment for an otherwise diagnosed condition. Provides that coverage of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections and pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome shall adhere to the treatment recommendations developed by a medical professional consortium convened for the purposes of researching, identifying, and publishing best practice standards for diagnosis and treatment of such disorders or syndrome that are accessible for medical professionals and are based on evidence of positive patient outcomes. Provides that coverage for any form of medically necessary treatment shall not be limited over a lifetime of an insured, enrollee, or beneficiary, unless the patient is no longer benefiting from the treatment, or by policy period. Provides that nothing in the provisions prevents insurers from requesting treatment notes and anticipated duration of treatment and outcomes. Effective immediately.