Rep. Mike Crawford

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Treasurer may make a matching contribution of $50 to an ABLE account opened on or after January 1, 2026 for a beneficiary who is a resident of Illinois. Provides that the matching contribution shall be limited to one contribution per beneficiary and shall not be treated differently from any other contributions to the account. Provides that if there are insufficient funds available, the State Treasurer may reduce the matching contribution amount or forgo contributions. Provides that the Illinois ABLE Matching Contribution Fund shall be the official repository of all contributions, appropriated funds, interest, and dividend payments, gifts, or other financial assets received by the State Treasurer in connection with matching contributions to ABLE accounts. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois ABLE Matching Contribution Fund.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a water or sewer utility owned by the State or any political subdivision thereof and being acquired by a large public utility must inform the public of the terms of its acquisition by the large public utility by holding a public meeting prior to the acquisition and mailing a notice to the public residing in the area that the water or sewer utility operates (rather than publishing a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the area that the water or sewer utility operates). Provides that the notice shall include (i) information about the public meeting being held prior to the acquisition, (ii) information on what public body will be making the decision regarding the sale of the water or sewer utility, and (iii) an estimate of the potential rate increases that may be incurred in the next 5 years due to the acquisition, including the maximum rate increase that the large public utility estimates rate payers would incur each year for the next 5 years. Provides that, for a period of 5 years after the acquisition of the water or sewer utility, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall deny any proposed rate increase that exceeds the maximum estimated rate increase provided in the notice.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that all youth in care shall be assigned a mental health provider to manage their mental health care needs. Requires a youth's mental health provider to visit the youth and conduct a well-being assessment within 30 days after the youth is removed from his or her home and placed in the temporary custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services. Provides that additional follow-up visits and well-being checks shall be scheduled and conducted until the youth is no longer under the custody or guardianship of the Department. Provides that any mental health care services provided to the youth shall be in addition to any care or services the youth receives from his or her primary care provider. Grants the Department rulemaking authority.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any person to charge a consumer an additional fee or surcharge for: (1) not enrolling in an automatic payment program; or (2) requesting business documents, including, but not limited to, invoices and statements, be mailed to the consumer's address rather than delivered electronically.

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Adds electrification industries to clean energy jobs. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility may cease providing service if the Illinois Commerce Commission determines that adequate substitute service is available at a reasonable cost to support the existing end uses of the affected utility customers. Provides for cost-effective energy efficiency measures for natural gas utilities that supersede existing provisions concerning natural gas energy efficiency programs and take effect beginning January 1, 2025. Provides that gas main and gas service extension policies shall be based on the principle that the full incremental cost associated with new development and growth shall be borne by the customers that cause those incremental costs. Provides that, no later than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed rulemaking reviewing each gas public utility tariff that provides for gas main and gas service extensions without additional charge to new customers in excess of the default extensions as specified in administrative rule. Adds the Clean Building Heating Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning emissions standards for heating in buildings, as well as related and other provisions. Adds the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Standard Article to the Act, with provisions concerning options for compliance, measures for customer emission reduction, customer emission reductions, tradable clean heat credits, banking of emission reductions, equity in emission reductions, enforcement, the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Pathways Study, gas infrastructure planning, a study on gas utility financial incentive reform, and reporting requirements. Adds the Statewide Navigator Program Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning creation of a statewide navigator program, as well as related and other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, to submit the necessary application to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to amend the State's home and community-based services waiver programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities to provide coverage under the Home-Based Services Program for any therapeutic recreation programs offered by park districts, health clubs, and community colleges.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Establishes the Nonprofit Clinical Supervision Grant Program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall provide grants to eligible nonprofit associations to provide grants to nonprofit associations to hire licensed clinical social workers and to administer programs for group clinical supervision to assist social workers in fulfilling their supervised clinical experience requirements for licensure. Sets forth eligibility requirements for nonprofit associations. Sets forth requirements regarding the use of grant funds. Describes annual reporting requirements for grant recipients. Allows the Department of Human Services to adopt rules needed to implement the Nonprofit Clinical Supervision Grant Program. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes the name of the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to the School and Municipal/County Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Increases the maximum amount of grants that may be awarded through the School and Municipal/County Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Allows a recipient to apply for additional grant funding in subsequent years only if the recipient verifies that the grant amount allocated in the prior year has been applied to reduce the balance of the recipient's educational loan.

Amends the Comprehensive Healthcare Workforce Planning Act. Requires the State Healthcare Workforce Council to coordinate the State's health workforce education and training to develop a health workforce that meets the State's health care needs. Requires the Council to work with graduate medical education and training programs, health professions, and consumer representatives to address specified issues. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish a program to provide: (1) funding for medical residency positions that are not funded by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or other established funding source; (2) technical assistance for entities that wish to establish a residency program; and (3) startup funding for entities that wish to establish a residency program. Sets forth provisions concerning the application process and priority. Requires the Board to establish an application process for an entity seeking funding. Provides that the State Healthcare Workforce Council shall provide information annually to the Board related to workforce shortages to assist in the development of the application and shall be responsible for reviewing applications and making recommendations to the Board regarding funding recipients. Creates the Medical Residency Education Fund to expand graduate medical education opportunities in the State and maximize the delivery of medical care and physician services to specific areas of the State where there is a recognized unmet priority need for medical care and physician services. Makes other changes. Makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that any contract that provides for the storage of any State data shall include a requirement that the State data must be processed, stored, and disposed of within the territory of the United States. Provides that, for any contract that provides for the storage of State data, the Chief Procurement Officer shall allocate to any qualified bidder an earned credit of: (1) 2% of the contract base bid for ensuring that all State data that is included in the contract is stored within the State of Illinois; and (2) an additional 4% of the contract base bid for ensuring that all such State data is stored within an opportunity zone. Contains provisions concerning data centers.

Creates the Chicago Downtown Revitalization Task Force Act. Includes legislative findings. Creates the Chicago Downtown Revitalization Task Force. Includes provisions on Task Force membership, meetings, compensation, and administrative support. Requires the Task Force to (1) conduct an analysis of all taxes and economic incentives, monetary or otherwise, that impact downtown Chicago, including analyzing all taxes and incentives levied or administered directly by the State of Illinois as well as those authorized by State law but are implemented by units of local government, including the City of Chicago; (2) research and review trends impacting downtown Chicago, including, but not limited to, population growth, office occupancy rates, commercial office vacancy and valuation figures, retail sales, restaurant sales, hotel occupancy rates, and cultural event attendance; (3) examine national best practices in the area of post-pandemic revitalization of large urban centers and consider the applicability of such policies to downtown Chicago; (4) assess existing and potential industry clusters based on current and anticipated trends to consider policy solutions that may optimize the marketability and overall appeal of downtown Chicago to potential growth sectors; and (5) make recommendations regarding changes to existing policy or the implementation of new policies to enhance economic activity in and increase the overall vitality of downtown Chicago. Requires the Task Force to submit a report no later than 12 months after the effective date of the Act and periodically thereafter. Dissolves the Task Force 5 years after the effective date of the Act. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2032.