Rep. Nick Smith

Amends the Zoning Division of the Counties Code. Provides that a county board may, by majority vote (rather than by ordinance) and without a further public hearing, deny, grant, or grant subject to conditions a proposed special use on receiving the report from the board of appeals (rather than the board may adopt a proposed special use on receiving the report or it may refer the proposal back to the board of appeals for further consideration). Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Creates a prior academic and work experience scholarship program. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for scholarships under the program. Provides that an applicant is eligible for a scholarship if the Commission finds that the applicant (i) is attending an institution of higher learning that has a student population of no more than 10,000 students, (ii) has previously enrolled in at least 3 different institutions of higher learning, and (iii) has at least 3 years of work experience beginning from the date he or she graduated from high school. Requires the Commission to adopt rules.

Amends the African American Employment Plan Act. Provides for the African American Youth Employment Plan. Requires the Department of Central Management Services to develop and implement plans to improve the delivery of State services to African American youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Requires each State agency to implement specified strategies and programs targeted toward African American youth in accordance with the African American Employment plan. Makes conforming changes concerning strategies, programs, and reporting requirements under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, each school district that maintains grade 9 must include in its curriculum and require all ninth grade students to take a unit of instruction on home economics that includes, but is not limited to, instruction on family finance, wellness, personal hygiene, food preparation, and nutrition. Effective immediately.

Creates the 2020 Census Grant Program Act. Creates the 2020 Census Grant Program for the purpose of issuing matching grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to support the accurate counting of the population of the State and its local jurisdictions, and the collection of basic demographic and housing information of the population of this State for the 2020 Census. Creates the 2020 Census Grant Program Panel and provides for its membership. Provides administrative support for the Grant Panel. Provides for the awarding of funds under the Grant Program. Requires notice to be given to units of local government and nonprofit organizations concerning the Grant Program. Provides that for fiscal year 2020, the Governor shall include in the annual State budget for the 2020 Census Grant Program an appropriation of $33,000,000. Provides legislative findings. Defines terms. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2022. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that a petitioner may petition the circuit court to expunge the records of his or her arrests and charges not initiated by arrest when each arrest or charge not initiated by arrest sought to be expunged resulted in the underlying conduct being later decriminalized.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to require managed care organizations (MCOs) to ensure: (1) that any provider under contract with an MCO on the date of service shall be paid for any medically necessary service rendered to any of the MCO's enrollees, regardless of inclusion on the MCO's published and publicly available roster of available providers; (2) that all contracted providers are listed on an updated roster within 7 days of entering into a contract with the MCO; and (3) that the roster under item (2) is readily accessible by all medical assistance enrollees for purposes of selecting an approved healthcare provider. Requires the Department to require MCOs to expedite payments to providers based on specified criteria (rather than providing that the Department may establish a process for MCOs to expedite payments to providers based on criteria established by the Department). Contains provisions concerning discharge notifications and facility placements and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Youthbuild Act. In language providing that the Secretary of Human Services shall make grants to applicants for the purpose of carrying out approved Youthbuild programs, deletes language providing that the grantmaking is subject to appropriation. Effective July 1, 2019.

Supports, as a civil right, automatic citizenship to all qualifying children adopted by a U.S. citizen parent, regardless of the date on which the adoption was finalized. Condemns the deportation of individuals who were adopted into American homes and should have every expectation that their citizenship matches that of their adoptive parents. Welcomes legislation that will provide citizenship for all adult adoptees whose adoptive parents did not complete the naturalization process while they were children.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that covered vehicle service provider personnel who treat and either release or transport to a health care facility an individual experiencing a suspected or an actual opioid overdose shall document in the patient's care report the date and time of the overdose, the location in latitude and longitude where the overdose victim was initially encountered, whether one or more doses of an opioid overdose reversal drug was administered, and whether the overdose was fatal or nonfatal when the overdose victim was initially encountered and during the transportation of the victim to a health care facility. Provides that a covered vehicle service provider shall also provide the information to a specified mapping application. Provides that the information documented by a covered vehicle service provider shall not be used in an opioid use-related criminal investigation or prosecution of the individual treated by the covered vehicle service provider personnel. Exempts from civil or criminal liability all covered vehicle service providers and covered vehicle service provider personnel who report the information in good faith. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.