Rep. Lisa Hernandez

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that an individual taxpayer age 65 or older is entitled to the earned income tax credit without regard to the requirement under the federal Internal Revenue Code that an individual taxpayer without a qualifying child has not attained age 65. Provides that an individual taxpayer age 18 to 24 is entitled to the earned income tax credit without regard to the requirement under the federal Internal Revenue Code that an individual taxpayer without a qualifying child has attained the age of 25. Provides that certain taxpayers using individual tax identification numbers are entitled to the earned income tax credit. Creates the eligible dependent tax credit. Provides that the total amount of credits between the eligible dependent tax credit and the earned income tax credit may not be less than $600. Amends the Earned Income Tax Credit Information Act to delete certain provisions concerning dependent children. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fire Department Promotion Act. Modifies the definition of "affected department" for purposes of the Act to include a municipality with a population over 1,000,000.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that a warning must be displayed when an interactive digital entertainment product utilizes a loot box in its operations. Sets forth the contents of the warning. Provides that a failure to display the required warning is an unlawful practice. Defines terms.

Amends the Health Care Professional Credentials Data Collection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the adoption and incorporation of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 410 ILCS 517/45 Adds reference to: New Act Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Consumer Choice in Maternal Care for African-American Mothers Pilot Program Act. Requires the Task Force on Infant and Maternal Mortality Among African Americans to partner with community-based maternal care providers to develop rules and regulations for a Medicaid voucher pilot program to expand consumer choice for Black mothers that includes planned home birth services and in-home perinatal and postpartum care services provided by racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to implement the pilot program no later than January 1, 2023. Provides that the pilot program shall operate for a 5-year period. Requires the Task Force to submit annual reports to the General Assembly, beginning January 1, 2024, and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2028, that provides a status update on the pilot program and annual impact measure reporting. Provides that the pilot program shall implement a maternity episode payment model that provides a single payment for all services across the prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal period which covers the 9 months of pregnancy plus 12 weeks of postpartum. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to make available to the Task Force all relevant data related to maternal care expenditures made under the State's Medical Assistance Program so that budget-neutral reimbursement rates can be established for bundled maternal care services spanning the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum phases of a maternity episode. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Provides that the Medicaid voucher pilot program includes home birth services and in-home perinatal and postpartum care services provided by racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives who are licensed and registered in Illinois (rather than racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives). Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes: Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to take all necessary steps to ensure that the State is eligible for, and receives, the maximum federal matching funds available under Title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act for the purposes of the pilot program. Requires the Department, beginning January 1, 2024, and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2028, to report to the General Assembly the expenditures associated with the provision of perinatal care services to pilot program participants who are insured under the State's Medical Assistance Program. Provides that the Department shall report the incidences of low birth weight, preterm birth, hospital admission for neonatal intensive care services, and severe maternal morbidity, pregnancy-related mortality, and neonatal mortality among program participants. Requires the Department to collect and maintain deidentified demographic data for all program participants. Provides that the demographic data collected for any program participant shall include the participant's zip code of residence at the time of program enrollment, parity, maternal race and ethnicity, maternal age at delivery, and weeks' gestation at the time of program enrollment. Requires the Department of Public Health to monitor and evaluate implementation of the alternative health care delivery model provided under the pilot program in accordance with the relevant terms and standards under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act.

Creates the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act. Provides that owners of qualified low-income housing developments are eligible for credits against (i) State income taxes and (ii) any privilege tax or retaliatory tax, penalty, fee, charge, or payment imposed under the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to cover immunosuppressive drugs and related services associated with post-kidney transplant management for noncitizens who are not eligible for comprehensive medical benefits but meet certain residency and financial requirements under the Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, or Stalking Act. Makes the Act's requirements applicable to victims of human trafficking. Deletes language providing that: a program participant who is otherwise qualified to vote may apply to vote under the Election Code; the program participant shall automatically receive absentee ballots for all elections in the jurisdictions for which that individual resides; and the election authority shall transmit the absentee ballot to the program participant at the address designated by the participant in his or her application. Provides instead that a program participant who is otherwise qualified to vote may register to vote by submitting an Illinois Address Confidentiality Program Voter Registration Application created by the State Board of Elections to the appropriate election authority. Provides that the State Board of Elections (rather than the Attorney General) shall adopt rules to ensure the integrity of the voting process and the confidentiality of the program participant. In a provision regarding when disclosure of an address is prohibited, removes the exception requirement that a certification has been canceled. Exempts a program participant's address and phone number on file with the Attorney General from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act. Makes corresponding changes in the Freedom of Information Act and the Election Code.

Amends the Language Assistance Services Act. Provides for the use and availability of qualified medical interpreters (rather than interpreters) in health facilities. Defines "qualified medical interpreters". Provides that employees of a health facility have the right to use a qualified medical interpreter for their own communication with a limited English proficient patient if a conversation between the limited English proficient patient and the employee would be jeopardized by the use of a volunteer interpreter. Requires the facility to annually transmit to the Department of Public Health a copy of the updated policy regarding language assistance services and to include a description of the facility's process to ensure adequate and speedy communication between staff and patients with language or communication barriers. Provides that facilities must prepare and maintain a list of contact information for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter providers or individuals who have been identified as being proficient in sign language, as well as a list of the languages of the population of the geographical area served by the facility. Removes language allowing facilities to consider providing its nonbilingual staff with standardized picture and phrase sheets for use in routine communications with patients who have language or communication barriers. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may provide medical services to noncitizens 19 years of age through 64 years of age who (i) are not eligible for medical assistance under the Medical Assistance Program due to their not meeting the citizenship requirements under the Code and (ii) have income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level plus 5% for the applicable family size as determined under applicable federal law and regulations. Provides that persons eligible for medical services under the amendatory Act shall receive benefits identical to the benefits provided under the Health Benefits Service Package as defined under the Medical Assistance Article of the Code.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health, subject to appropriation or other available funding, shall conduct a program to promote awareness of firearms restraining orders to the general public. Provides that beginning July 1, 2022, the program must include the development and dissemination, through print, digital, and broadcast media, of public service announcements that publicize the options victims of domestic violence have to seek help with special emphasis on the firearms restraining order. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop and approve a standard curriculum for a training program on the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that the Board shall conduct a training program that trains officers on the use of firearms restraining orders, how to identify situations in which a firearms restraining order is appropriate, and how to safely promote the usage of the firearms restraining order in a domestic violence situation. Officers who have successfully completed this program shall be issued a certificate attesting to their attendance. Amends the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that a firearms restraining order includes the seizure of the respondent's ammunition. Provides that "family member of the respondent" includes a former spouse and a person with whom the respondent has or allegedly has a child in common. Provides that a petition for a firearms restraining order may be filed in any county where an incident occurred that involved the respondent posing an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to the respondent or another by having in his or her custody or control, or purchasing, possessing, or receiving, a firearm or ammunition. Includes printing a petition for a firearms restraining order for which no fees may be charged by the circuit clerk. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall submit a yearly report to the General Assembly concerning the applications and issuance of firearms restraining orders.