Rep. Will Davis

Creates the Justice40 Oversight Committee Act. Establishes the Justice40 Oversight Committee. Provides that the Justice40 Oversight Committee shall make findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding environmental justice in this State and uses of federal funds provided to the State for environmental justice. Requires the Justice40 Oversight Committee to submit reports delineating the Oversight Committee's findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the General Assembly by specified dates. Contains requirements for the appointment of voting and nonvoting members of the Oversight Committee. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that a hospital shall screen each uninsured patient for eligibility in State and federal health insurance programs, financial assistance offered by the hospital, and other public programs that may assist with health care costs and provide information about those programs. For an insured patient, requires the hospital to screen the patient for discounted care in specified circumstances. Provides that the screenings and all follow-up assistance must be culturally competent, in the patient's primary language, in plain language, and in an accessible format. Requires a hospital to implement an operational plan and trainings relating to screenings. Prohibits hospitals from pursuing collection actions against uninsured patients if they have not completed the screening requirements. Includes a prohibition on the sale of medical debt, limitations on collection actions, penalties for violating the Act's provisions, and defenses against collection actions pursued in violation of the provisions. Makes other changes. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Provides that a patient declining to apply for a public health insurance program on the basis of concern for immigration-related consequences shall not be grounds for denying financial assistance under a hospital's financial assistance policy.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that the annual incentive shall be $2,250 (instead of $1,500) and that 45 hours of mentoring shall be required (instead of 30). Provides that funds may also be used for professional development training provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows the issuance of Lyme disease research decals by the Department of Natural Resources. Provides that $10 of each original issuance and $23 of each renewal shall be deposited into the Tick Research, Education, and Evaluation Fund, and that $15 of each original issuance and $2 of each renewal shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. Provides that money in the Tick Research, Education, and Evaluation Fund shall be paid as grants to the Illinois Lyme Association. Makes a corresponding change in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall publish all consumer complaints filed against any towing company on its website. Requires the Commission to update its website periodically to include information pertaining to the disposition of the complaint.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that in addition to other monetary assistance and incentives, if adequate funds are available, retention bonuses of $4,000 per year for 2 consecutive years shall be awarded to National Board certified teachers employed in hard-to-staff schools. This bonus shall be distributed to the respective school district or directly to the qualified educators. Provides that the State Board of Education's annual budget shall set out a separate line item for the appropriation of this bonus.

Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2025, the Governor shall consult with the Budgeting for Results Commission (rather than the appropriation committees of the General Assembly) to (i) identify statewide result areas (rather than prioritize outcomes) that are most important for each State agency of the executive branch under the jurisdiction of the Governor to achieve for the next fiscal year and (ii) identify outcome areas, which further define the statewide result areas, into which State programs and associated spending can be categorized (rather than set goals to accomplish those outcomes according to the priority of the outcome). Makes changes to the yearly commission that the Governor establishes (naming the commission the Budgeting for Results Commission) and makes other changes in how the Commission operates. Replaces instances of "statewide goals" with "statewide result and outcome areas". Makes other changes.

Supports home-visiting and Early Intervention programs as an essential component of our State's multifaceted approach to the opioid crisis, helping remediate many of its corrosive impacts on young children, their parents, and families, while also assisting efforts at preventing children from future struggles with substance use disorders of their own. Affirms these vital birth-to-3 services are a top priority for increased public resources, to strengthen their quality and extend their reach to more of the children, parents, and families who could benefit from them, particularly in communities of greatest need and those hit hardest by the opioid epidemic. Affirms home-visiting and Early Intervention services are an appropriate and necessary use for some of the hundreds of millions of funding coming to Illinois from the settlement of lawsuits against opioid makers and distributors, initiatives that can help meet the settlements' stated aims of boosting opioid remediation, treatment, and prevention.

Amends the Treasurers Article of the School Code. Removes provisions allowing the school treasurer to execute a bond with 2 or more persons having an interest in real estate who are not trustees before beginning the treasurer's duties. Provides that, for those school districts that have a designation of recognition or review according to the State Board of Education's School District Financial Profile System, the penalty of the bond shall be determined by the school board in an amount no less than 10% of the amount of all bonds, notes, mortgages, moneys and effects the treasurer will have custody over as measured by specified provisions (rather than an initial penalty of 25% with the penalty increasing and decreasing based on specified factors, but not higher than 25%). Provides that, for those districts that have no designation of recognition or review, then the penalty shall be 25%. Amends the Debt Limitation Article of the School Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that if gas or electricity is used as the only source of space cooling or to control or operate the only space cooling equipment at a residence, then a utility may not terminate gas or electric utility service to a residential user for nonpayment of bills: (1) on any day when the National Weather Service forecast for the following 24 hours covering the area of the utility in which the residence is located includes a forecast that the temperature will be 85 degrees (rather than 95 degrees) Fahrenheit or above; (2) on any day preceding a holiday or weekend when the National Weather Service for the following 24 hours covering the area of the utility in which the residence is located includes a forecast that the temperature will be 85 degrees (rather than 95 degrees) Fahrenheit or above during the holiday or weekend; or (3) when the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat watch, heat advisory, or excessive heat warning covering the area of the utility in which the residence is located.