Rep. Lindsey LaPointe

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Creative Economy Task Force within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create a strategic plan to improve the creative economy in the State. Provides that, within 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the task force shall collect and analyze data on the current state of the creative economy in the State and develop a strategic plan to improve the State's creative economy that can be rolled out in incremental phases to reach identified economic, social justice, and business development goals. Provides that the goal of the strategic plan shall be to ensure that the State is competitive with respect to attracting creative economy business, retaining talent within the State, and developing marketable content that can be exported for national and international consumption and monetization. Specifies requirements of the strategic plan. Provides that the task force shall submit its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2027. Sets forth provisions concerning task force membership; compensation; and administrative support. Repeals the provision on July 1, 2028.

Amends the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act. Provides that the Division of Developmental Disabilities of the Department of Human Services shall continue, in cases of medically required absences from a community integrated living arrangement, to provide 50% of the per diem reimbursement to providers while the community integrated living arrangement holds the vacancy for the absent resident. Provides that the absent resident shall be able to return to the community integrated living arrangement when the resident is medically able to return. Defines "medically required absences".

Amends the Crimes Victim Compensation Act. Includes additional expenses and costs in the definition of "pecuniary loss". Removes language providing that: no compensation may be granted while the applicant or victim is held in a correctional institution; and a victim who has been convicted of a felony may apply for assistance at any time but no award of compensation may be considered until the applicant meets certain requirements. Requires the Attorney General to: provide an applicant with written notification of a drafted award determination; present the drafted award determination to the Court of Claims within 90 days of the application being submitted; make all applications and forms available electronically; translate all paper and electronic forms and applications into the 5 most common non-English languages in the State; maintain an online application system; and maintain a case-tracking system to track the status of an application. Allows a victim or applicant to obtain a law enforcement report and provide it to the Attorney General under certain circumstances. Removes time limit and law enforcement notification requirements for submitting an application for compensation. Provides that a victim of a crime who has presented oneself to a hospital for medical care or sexual assault evidence collection is not required to reveal the cause of the injuries or health needs. Provides that a victim of crime is not required to present oneself to a hospital for medical care or sexual assault evidence collection within a specified period of time. Provides that when submitting an application for compensation, the victim or applicant must provide to the Attorney General a sworn statement of the victim or applicant that attests to the victim's or applicant's experience of a crime of violence. Provides that cooperation with law enforcement is not required for a victim of certain offenses to submit an application. Provides that it is presumed that a crime victim or applicant did not provoke, incite, assist, attempt, or commit the criminal act that led to the victim's injury or death. Requires the Attorney General to create a process with forms and applications for applying for emergency awards, create a process for determining emergency awards within 48 hours of the filing of the application, and publicize the process on the Attorney General's website.

Amends the Disaster Relief Act. Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security may provide State supplemental grants to meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals and households adversely affected by any disaster declared by the President of the United States in those cases in which individuals and households are unable to meet those expenses or needs through other assistance. Sets eligibility, application, and other requirements for the grants.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that in order to give providers more time to prepare for and implement changes to the Medicaid Mental Health Fee Schedule and to ensure that the quality and delivery of behavioral health care is not disrupted, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall provide an approved Medicaid Mental Health Fee Schedule to all behavioral health care providers no later than 45 days prior to the date such rate change takes effect, unless contrary to federal law and regulation. Requires the Department to obtain federal approval on any Medicaid Mental Health Fee Schedule by submitting all necessary documentation in a timely manner, including, but not limited to, submitting any required State Plan amendments to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that if the Department is unable to provide 45 days' notice prior to the date such rate change takes effect due to external circumstances beyond the Department's control, the Department must provide a reasonable amount of notice. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed as a requirement to delay or prohibit implementation of rate changes that impact enrollee benefits as determined in the sole discretion of the Department.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, both the fee-for service and managed care medical assistance programs shall reimburse qualified mental health professionals for hours spent supervising students and interns. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a fee schedule for the covered services. Requires the Department to apply, by January 1, 2025, for any necessary federal waivers or approvals to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Requires the Department to submit to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules a rulemaking proposal to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act as soon as practicable but no later than 6 months after the Department receives federal approval to reimburse qualified mental health professionals for hours spent supervising students and interns. Defines "qualified mental health professional". Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that upon the receipt of all necessary federal waivers or approvals by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services as provided under the amendatory Act, the Department of Human Services shall reimburse qualified mental health professionals for hours spent supervising students and interns. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that, for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities, subject to federal approval of any relevant Waiver Amendment, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2025 shall include an increase in the rate methodology sufficient to provide a $3 per hour wage rate increase for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel who are not subject to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage increases and who work in residential and community day services settings, with at least $1.50 of those funds to be provided as a direct increase to base wages and the remaining $1.50 to be used flexibly for base wage increases. Provides that the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2025 shall include an increase sufficient to provide wages for all residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the federal Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage as defined by rule by the Department of Human Services. Provides that for facilities licensed by the Department of Public Health under the ID/DD Community Care Act as ID/DD facilities and under the MC/DD Act as MC/DD facilities, subject to federal approval of a State Plan Amendment, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2025, shall include a $3 per hour wage rate increase for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel who are not subject to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage increases and who work in residential and community day services settings, with at least $1.50 of those funds to be provided as a direct increase to all aide base wages and the remaining $1.50 to be used flexibly for base wage increases to the rate methodology for aides. Provides that for residential services delivered on or after January 1, 2025, the rates shall include an increase sufficient to provide wages for all residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding aides, at the federal Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage as determined by the Department. Requires the Department to adopt rules, including emergency rules, to implement the amendatory Act.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In a provision requiring the Department on Aging to require an annual audit from all personal assistant and home care aide vendors contracting with the Department, provides that the annual audit shall assure that each audited vendor's procedures are in compliance with the Department's financial reporting guidelines requiring an 80% or higher employee wage and benefits cost split and an administrative cost split of no more than 20% (rather than an administrative and employee wage and benefits cost split as defined in administrative rules). Provides that subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2025, rates for homemaker services shall be increased to $32.75 to sustain a minimum wage of $20 per hour for direct service workers. Provides that rates in subsequent State fiscal years shall be no lower than $32.75 upon federal approval. Requires providers of in-home services to be required to certify to the Department that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, paid time off and payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation, shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases. Provides that subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2025, the Department shall pay a rate add-on under the Community Care Program to those in-home service provider agencies that attest and document their direct service workers attend paid, quarterly, in-person training sessions to fulfill the in-service training requirements. Provides that the add-on shall be 1% of the homemaker services rate. Requires the Department to adopt rules.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. In a provision requiring the Department of Human Services to establish eligibility standards for services provided under the Home Services Program, provides that the standards must provide that a person may not have more than $17,500 (rather than $10,000) in assets to be eligible for services. Provides that the Department may not decrease the asset level below $17,500 (rather than $10,000). Requires the Department to implement a pilot program of no less than 60 months in 3 geographically diverse locations wherein it shall exempt from consideration when determining eligibility for the Home Services Program retirement accounts that the person cannot access without penalty before the age of 59 1/2, and medical savings accounts. Provides that services provided to any individual determined eligible under the pilot program shall be funded solely by the State. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision regarding the income eligibility standard under the medical assistance program for persons with disabilities who are employed and for persons with a medically improved disability who are employed, requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to set the income eligibility standard at not lower than 450% (rather than 350%) of the federal poverty level.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that the State Treasurer may establish and administer a non-profit investment pool to supplement and enhance investment opportunities otherwise available to not-for-profit corporations in the State. Provides that the Treasurer may receive funds paid into the pool for the purpose of holding and investing those funds. Provides for surety bonds payable to not-for-profit corporations who participate in the pool. Makes changes to provisions concerning the direct deposit of State payments. Amends the Accountability for the Investment of Public Funds Act. Provides that the Treasurer shall adopt rules for the efficient administration of the pool. Provides that each State agency shall make available on the Internet, and update at least monthly, no later than the end of each month (rather than by the 15th of the month), sufficient information concerning the investment of any public funds held by that State agency to identify specified information. Effective immediately.