Rep. Barbara Hernandez

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Makes a technical change in a Section relating to long-term care insurance. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 5/351A-4 Adds reference to: New Act 215 ILCS 5/356z.41 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Access to Affordable Insulin Act. Sets forth provisions concerning an insulin urgent-need program. Provides that by July 1, 2022, each manufacturer shall establish procedures to make insulin available to eligible individuals who are in urgent need of insulin or who are in need of access to an affordable insulin supply. Sets forth provisions concerning insulin urgent-need program exceptions, eligibility, forms, applications, claims and reimbursement, copayments, information sheets, navigators, and penalties. Defines terms. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning cost sharing in prescription insulin drugs, provides that an insurer that provides coverage for prescription insulin drugs under the terms of a health coverage plan the insurer offers shall limit the total amount that an insured is required to pay for a 30-day supply of covered prescription insulin drugs at an amount not to exceed $35 (rather than $100). Effective immediately.

Amends the Automatic Contract Renewal Act. Provides that the Act applies to contracts with a term of 6 months or more (rather than a term of 12 months or more).

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to annually review and update the underlying data for, and use of, indicators used to determine whether a community is designated as an environmental justice community and to establish a process by which communities not designated as environmental justice communities may petition for such a designation. Provides that an applicant for a permit for the construction of a new source that will become a major source subject to the Clean Air Act Permit Program to be located in an environmental justice community or a new source that has or will require a federally enforceable State operating permit and that will be located in an environmental justice community must conduct a public meeting prior to submission of the permit application and must submit with the permit application an environmental justice assessment identifying the potential environmental and health impacts to the area associated with the proposed project. Provides requirements for the environmental justice assessment. Provides that a supplemental fee of $200,000 for each construction permit application shall be assessed if the construction permit application is subject to the requirements regarding the construction of a new source located in an environmental justice community. Contains provisions regarding public participation requirements for permitting transactions in an environmental justice community. Provides that, if the Agency grants a permit to construct, modify, or operate a facility that emits air pollutants and is classified as a minor source, a third party may petition the Pollution Control Board for a hearing to contest the issuance of the permit. Contains provisions regarding environmental justice grievances. Defines "environmental justice community". Contains other provisions. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 415 ILCS 5/39.5 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1039.5 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Removes language requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to annually review and update the underlying data for, and use of, indicators used to determine whether a community is designated as an environmental justice community. Requires the Agency to conduct an evaluation of a prospective CAAPP permit owner's or operator's prior experience in owning and operating sources of air pollution. Provides that the Agency may deny such a permit if the prospective owner or operator or any employee or officer of the prospective owner or operator or any employee or board member has a history of specified criminal actions. Removes language requiring the air dispersion modeling to examine air quality related impacts to determine estimated emissions of specified pollutants. Makes other changes.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to permit medical assistance recipients, including those enrolled in managed care, to obtain pharmacy services from the pharmacy of their choice if the pharmacy is licensed under the Pharmacy Practice Act and accepts the professional dispensing fee for pharmacy services as determined by the Department. Provides that no managed care organization that contracts with the Department to provide services to recipients may restrict a recipient's access to pharmacy services to a selected group of pharmacies. Provides that if a managed care organization merges with or is acquired by another entity, the resulting entity may not restrict a recipient's access to pharmacy services to a selected group of pharmacies. Permits the Department to renegotiate with the resulting entity the terms of the managed care contract the Department had with the original managed care organization prior to the merger or acquisition. Requires the Department to contract with an independent research organization to conduct a study and submit a report on those managed care organizations that are contracted to provide services to recipients. Requires the report to include an analysis of pharmacy access for medical assistance recipients with the aim of identifying "pharmacy deserts"; an analysis of the costs and benefits of having managed care organizations administer health care services, including pharmacy services, to recipients; and other matters. Prohibits the Department from entering into any new contract with a managed care organization before the report has been received and analyzed by the Department and posted on its website. Effective immediately. Balanced Budget Note (Office of Management and Budget) Please be advised that the Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to House Bill 591 as it is not a supplemental appropriation that increases or decreases appropriations. Under the Act, a balanced budget note must be prepared only for bills that change a general funds appropriation for the fiscal year in which the new bill is enacted. Judicial Note (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) Based on a review of the bill, it has been determined that the proposed legislation would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the State of Illinois. Pension Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 591 will not have any impact on any public pension fund or retirement system in the State of Illinois. State Debt Impact Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 591 would not change the amount of authorization for any type of State-issued bond, and, therefore, would not affect the level of State indebtedness. Housing Affordability Impact Note (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. Home Rule Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not pre-empt home rule authority. State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State Mandate. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Healthcare & Family Services) The bill would require the Department to accept claims from any provider licensed under the Pharmacy Practice Act for services provided to recipients under the Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) program or through a contractual managed care organization (MCO) entity. There would be a significant impact to liability for the MCO capitation rates. This bill has a total fiscal impact of $186 million.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act to provide that, during the pendency of a disaster proclamation that is a result of a public health emergency or epidemic, provisions concerning ineligibility as a result of unemployment insurance fraud shall not apply to individuals residing in the counties affected by the gubernatorial disaster proclamation who are otherwise entitled to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Effective immediately.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Repeals provisions allowing the taking of bobcats by hunting or trapping in this State. Makes conforming changes.

Repeals the Rent Control Preemption Act. Housing Affordability Impact Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) The anticipated fiscal impact seen by local governments in performance of this bill will be that of administering a referendum. The Department believes costs associated with administering a referendum to be minimal and should be covered by funds budgeted for normal election activities.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services to be covered under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance. Provides that perinatal doula services include regular visits beginning in the prenatal period and continuing into the postnatal period, inclusive of continuous support during labor and delivery, that support healthy pregnancies and positive birth outcomes. Provides that perinatal doula services may be embedded in an existing program, such as evidence-based home visiting. Provides that perinatal doula services provided during the prenatal period may be provided weekly, services provided during the labor and delivery period may be provided for the entire duration of labor and the time immediately following birth, and services provided during the postpartum period may be provided up to 12 months postpartum. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules. Requires the Department, during the rulemaking process, to consider the expertise of and consult with doula program experts, doula training providers, practicing doulas, and home visiting experts, along with State agencies implementing perinatal doula services and relevant bodies under the Illinois Early Learning Council. Requires the Department to seek any State plan amendments or waivers necessary to implement the amendatory Act and to secure federal financial participation for expenditures made by the Department for perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services. Effective July 1, 2022.

Creates the Illinois Election Integrity Act. Amends the Election Code. Requires that each election authority (i) conduct an election day audit of a random sample of 10% of votes cast and (ii) provide by contract or employment for the performance by one or more independent auditors of post-election parallel tabulations and audits. Provides for the scope of the audits and the resulting reports. Requires that optical scan technology and direct recording electronic voting systems meet certain federal and independent testing standards. Creates a voluntary tax checkoff for the Fund. With respect to early voting, requires that an election authority using only direct recording electronic voting systems have paper ballots available for voters wishing to use them. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Election Integrity Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.

Amends the Bees and Apiaries Act. Defines terms. Provides that, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., a commercial applicator shall not apply to blooming crops pesticides labeled as toxic to bees when the commercial applicator is located within one mile of a registered apiary. Provides that a commercial applicator shall be responsible for maintaining the one mile distance from apiaries that are registered and listed on the sensitive crop registry on the first day of each month. Provides that a commercial applicator must notify the registrant in writing at least 24 hours prior to application as to date and time of application in case there is need to move the hives. The commercial applicator shall provide upon request a copy of the label for the products being applied. This same type of protection applies to all specialty crops.