Rep. Nick Smith

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, if a Public Act transfers State real property to a municipality for nominal consideration and the Public Act requires the property to be used for "public purposes" without defining that term, "public purposes" means any lawful purposes when used in a Public Act with an effective date prior to, on, or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Makes conforming changes to a Division heading.

Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for the purpose of removing barriers to the timely treatment of serious mental illnesses, prior authorization mandates and utilization management controls shall not be imposed under the fee-for-service and managed care medical assistance programs on any FDA-approved prescription drug that is recognized by a generally accepted standard medical reference as effective in the treatment of conditions specified in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. Provides that the following shall be permitted for prescription drugs covered under the amendatory Act: (i) clinically appropriate drug utilization review (DUR) edits, including, but not limited to, drug-to-drug, drug-age, and drug-dose; (ii) generic drug substitution if a generic drug is available for the prescribed medication in the same dosage and formulation; and (iii) any utilization management control that is necessary for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to comply with any current consent decrees or federal waivers. Defines "serious mental illness".

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, whenever a person fails to appear in court and the court continues the case, if the clerk of the court elects to establish a system to send text, email, and telephone notifications, the clerk of the court may send notifications to an email address, may send a text message to the person's last known cellular telephone number, and if the person does not have a cellular telephone number, may reach the person at the person's last known landline telephone number regarding the continued court date. Deletes a provision that requires a court to enter an order of failure to appear if a person does not appear in court on or before the continued court date or satisfy the court that the person's appearance in and surrender to the court is impossible for no fault of the person. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Deletes language that allowed the court use mitigating factors when deciding on contempt or imprisonment for nonpayment of a fine.

Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act. Removes the requirement that, in order to substantiate a patient's medical condition, a patient must provide the name of the registered medical cannabis dispensing organization. Provides that a patient may purchase medical cannabis from any licensed dispensing organization during the provisional registration period. Makes conforming changes throughout. Effective immediately.

Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager or health benefit plan issuer that covers prescription drugs shall provide certain information, including the issuer's patient-specific prescription benefit information, the enrollee's specific eligibility, and cost-sharing information, regarding a covered prescription drug to an enrollee or the enrollee's prescribing provider on request. Sets forth requirements for providing that information. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager or health benefit plan issuer may not deny or delay a response to a request for that information for the purpose of blocking the release of the information; restrict a prescribing provider from communicating certain information to the enrollee; interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage access to or the exchange or use of the information; or penalize a prescribing provider for disclosing the information or prescribing, administering, or ordering a lower cost or clinically appropriate alternative drug. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to require plans issued under those Acts to comply with the requirements. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may issue special registration plates designated as Defense Superior Service license plates to Illinois residents who have been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal. Provides that no registration fee shall be charged for the issuance or renewal of a Defense Superior Service plate. Adds vehicle owners who qualify for a Defense Superior Service plate to the list of vehicle owners who may reclass their registration upon acquiring a special license plate without a replacement plate fee or registration sticker cost.

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that in awarding contracts for Abandoned Mined Land Reclamation Projects with a total value of more than $100,000, preference shall be given to an otherwise qualified bidder who either (1) provides proof that at least 2 current employees of the bidder are former coal mine employees and that all such declared former coal mine employees in the bid shall be utilized in the fulfillment of an awarded Abandoned Mined Land Reclamation Project or (2) commits to employing at least 2 former coal mine employees hired out of a union hall in the fulfillment of the Abandoned Mined Land Reclamation Project (requiring the bidder to provide proof that at least 2 former coal mine employees have been hired out of a union hall within 60 days after the start of construction and to declare that the former coal mine employees, after being hired, shall be utilized in the fulfillment of an awarded Abandoned Mined Land Reclamation Project). Provides that when the Department of Natural Resources is to award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder, an otherwise qualified bidder who will fulfill the contract through the use of former coal mine employees may be given preference over other bidders unable to do so, if the bid is not more than 2% greater than the low bid.