Amends the Election Code. Sets forth provisions concerning independent expenditures; election spending; and coordinated expenditures. Replaces references to "electioneering communication" with "election spending". Defines terms. Makes other changes.
Rep. Barbara Hernandez
Sponsored bills
Amends the Swimming Facility Act. Requires all employers operating outdoor aquatic centers to provide access to independently-purchased structures that provide sufficient shade to cover the entire body; make reasonable efforts to avoid exposing employees to excessive sun exposure during peak ultraviolet hours; permit employees to regularly apply sunscreen; not restrict employees from wearing sun-protective clothing; and not compel aquatic center employees to wear sun-protective clothing. Provides that, if an employee chooses to wear sun-protective clothing, the employer may require the sun-protective clothing to be within the guidelines the employer sets for appropriate work attire. Requires the Department of Public Health to provide documents to employers so that the employers may inform employees about cancer risks associated with ultraviolet radiation, the significance of sun protection throughout life, and the importance of regularly monitoring their skin for potentially worrisome changes.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2026, and each calendar year thereafter, a nursing facility must spend at least 90% of its adjusted total revenue on resident care and other resident-related costs, as defined. Requires each nursing facility to provide as part of its financial reporting information necessary for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to administer and enforce the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that such information shall be subject to audit provisions and comply with any applicable uniform standards under the Code. Provides that all non-allowable costs, related party adjustments, or compensation to owners reported shall be excluded from the calculation of the amount spent on resident care and other resident-related costs. Requires 25% of costs associated with contract nursing staff to be deducted from the amount spent on resident care and other resident-related costs. Provides that for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2027, and each calendar year thereafter, the Department shall use the required financial reporting submissions to determine whether each nursing facility has met the minimum resident care percent requirement. Provides that if a facility has not met the minimum resident care percent requirement, the amount defined by the facility's total adjusted revenue shall be treated as a vendor overpayment. Requires the Department to recover the full amount of any vendor overpayment by reducing future payments, requiring direct payment to the Department, or any other method permitted under the Code. Requires the Department to adopt rules.
Creates the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act. Sets forth legislative findings and objectives. Provides that beginning on November 1, 2025, and every 3 years thereafter on November 1, all electric cooperatives with members in the State, municipal power agencies, and municipalities shall file with the Illinois Power Agency an integrated resource plan. Includes provisions regarding the purposes and available resources for the integrated resource plan and rulemaking powers of the Agency. Requires the Agency to maintain a list of qualified experts or expert consulting firms for the purpose of developing integrated resource plans. Sets forth meeting requirements for an electric cooperative and publishing and posting requirements for specific information related to an electric cooperative. Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that a public body may hold closed meetings to consider the operation by a municipality of a municipal utility or the operation of a municipal power agency or municipal natural gas agency when the discussion involves certain topics. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Allows any additional municipality which operates an electric utility system to join a municipal power agency consistent with the bylaws of the municipal power agency, and upon payment of any termination obligations. Outlines a number of requirements for a municipal power agency. Makes other changes. Amends the Public Utilities Act. In a provision regarding net electricity metering, defines "electricity provider" and "electric utility". Makes other changes. Amends the Eminent Domain Act. Provides that for all acquisitions where the property, or any right or interest in property, is to be used for utility purposes, and where the condemning authority is an entity required to submit an integrated resource plan under the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act, the rebuttable presumption that such acquisition of that property is primarily for the benefit, use, or enjoyment of the public and necessary for a public purpose shall only apply if the most recent integrated resource plan filed by the condemning authority identified the facility or articulated a need for a facility similar capacity and type to the facility for which the property or right or interest is sought. Effective immediately.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that no person shall conduct a carbon sequestration activity within a sequestration facility that overlies, underlies, or passes through a sole-source aquifer. Defines "sole-source aquifer". Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award grants to match the funds received by a business through an SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal up to a maximum of $75,000 (currently, $50,000). Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award grants to match the funds received by a business through an SBIR/STTR Phase II proposal up to a maximum of $250,000. Provides that 50% of the total Phase II grant shall be remitted to the business upon submission by the business of the Phase II final report to the federal funding agency. Provides that a business may receive only one such grant per year. Provides that, over its lifetime, a business may receive a maximum of 2 such awards.
Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. In provisions concerning radon testing of licensed day care centers, licensed day care homes, and licensed group day care homes, requires mitigation when testing confirms radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L. Provides that mitigation shall be conducted according to industry standards. Provides that, if radon test results are at or above 4.0 pCi/L, the licensed day care center, licensed day care home, or licensed group day care home shall create a corrective action plan that shall include long-term radon tests that show levels below 4.0 pCi/L. Provides that, if radon test results exceed 8.0 pCi/L, initial applicants shall mitigate before a license is issued and license renewal applicants shall close operations until the radon standard of 4.0 pCi/L or lower is achieved.
Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Requires that a hospital's obligation to patients under the Act shall cover all health care services, including, but not limited to, on-site health care services provided by a non-hospital entity. Provides that, in the event the hospital outsources health care services to an individual or entity that is separate from the hospital within the hospital facility or otherwise on the hospital site, the hospital's obligations under the Act continue as though the hospital had provided the health care services. Requires a hospital to ensure that the individual or entity contracted to provide health care services agrees in writing to operate under the hospital's financial assistance policy, screening obligations, collections provisions, and all other provisions of the Act, and requires a hospital to ensure that a hospital agent or on-site provider of outsourced health care services complies with the Act. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act to establish similar requirements for hospitals. Provides that a hospital shall include charges from the third-party individual or entity when calculating the charge, discount, or collectible amount applicable under the Act.
Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that appropriate mobile response services must, among other things, subject to the care decisions of the individual receiving care, coordinate transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency to the least restrictive setting feasible (rather than provide transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency). Provides that adequate mobile mental health relief provider training includes, among other things, training in recognizing and working with people with neurodivergent and developmental disability diagnoses and in the techniques available to help stabilize and connect them to further services and training in the involuntary commitment process, in identification of situations that meet the standards for involuntary commitment, and in cultural competencies and social biases to guard against any group being disproportionately subjected to the involuntary commitment process or the use of the process not warranted under the legal standard for involuntary commitment. Provides that mobile mental health relief providers may only participate in the involuntary commitment process to the extent permitted under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Requires the system for gathering information developed by the Statewide Advisory Committee to determine the number of instances of mobile mental health relief providers initiating petitions for involuntary commitment. Provides that the exemption from civil liability for emergency care provided in the Good Samaritan Act applies to anyone providing care under the Act. Provides that each 9-1-1 public safety answering point and emergency service dispatched through a 9-1-1 public safety answering point must begin coordinating its activities with the mobile mental and behavioral health services established by the Division of Mental Health once all 3 of the following conditions are met, but not later than July 1, 2027 (rather than July 1, 2025). Adds definitions and modifies existing definitions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after January 1, 2026 shall provide coverage for one pair of custom-made retainers and one night guard every 2 years for each family covered by the policy. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under those provisions.