Rep. Michelle Mussman

Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual plan of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after the effective date of the amendatory Act must provide coverage for wigs or other scalp prostheses worn for hair loss caused by alopecia, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment for cancer or other conditions. Makes a conforming change in the Health Maintenance Organization Act and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that, in anticipation of the successful completion of a diversion program, a petitioner may file a petition for expungement at least 61 days before the anticipated dismissal of the case. Provides that, if a petition is filed, and upon the successful completion of the diversion program and dismissal of the case, the court shall review the petition and shall grant expungement if the petitioner meets all requirements. Amends the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that each school district shall provide to students, in addition to and not substituting recess, at least once a week, relaxation activities to enhance the mental and physical health of students as part of the school day. Specifies which activities may be considered relaxation activities. Provides that a school district may partner with local community-based organizations to provide relaxation activities. Provides that these activities may take place in a physical education class, social-emotional learning class, or student-support or advisory class or as a part of another similar class, including a new class.

Creates the Worker Freedom of Speech Act. Provides that an employer or the employer's agent, representative, or designee may not discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, threaten to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, or take any adverse employment action against an employee: (1) because the employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or declines to receive or listen to communications from the employer or the agent, representative, or designee of the employer if the meeting or communication is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; (2) as a means of inducing an employee to attend or participate in meetings or receive or listen to communications; or (3) because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of the Act. Provides for a private right of action to enforce the provisions of the Act. Sets forth the duties and powers of the Department of Labor under the Act. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the Act, an employer shall post and keep posted a notice of employee rights under the Act where employee notices are customarily placed. Provides for exceptions under the Act.

Maddy summaryHB 340 makes a minor technical correction to the Developmental Education Reform Act by updating the short title of a specific section. This change affects the official naming of the law but does not alter any existing rules, funding, or requirements for students or educational institutions. The bill is purely administrative and does not introduce new policies or change how the education system operates.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that if a student who is 18 years of age or older with no legal guardian is placed residentially outside of the school district in which the student's parent lives and the placement is funded by a State agency or through private insurance, then the resident district is the school district in which the parent lives. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Construction Law. In provisions concerning school maintenance project grants, provides that the State Board of Education is authorized to make grants to school districts, regional offices of education, intermediate service centers, and special education cooperatives established by school districts (instead of school districts and special education cooperatives established by school districts). Effective immediately.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Adds definitions. Provides that the minimum ratio for each provider type shall be no less than any such ratio established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that the maximum travel time and distance standards and appointment wait time standards shall be no greater than any such standards established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Makes changes to provisions concerning network adequacy, notice of nonrenewal or termination, transition of services, network transparency, administration and enforcement, provider requirements, and provider directory information. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Makes changes to provisions concerning notice of nonrenewal or termination and transition of services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Department of Insurance to adopt emergency rules implementing federal standards for provider ratios, time and distance, or appointment wait times when such standards apply to health insurance coverage regulated by the Department of Insurance and are more stringent than the State standards extant at the time the final federal standards are published. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes stylistic changes in provisions concerning institutes or inservice training workshops. In provisions concerning inservice training programs, removes the requirement that the training regarding health conditions of students include the chronic health conditions of students and provides that school district employees who are trained to respond to trauma under the provisions shall be immune from civil liability in the use of a trauma kit unless the action constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. Provides that training regarding the implementation of trauma-informed practices under the provisions concerning institutes or inservice training workshops satisfies the requirements under the provisions concerning inservice training programs. Removes certain provisions that require a school board to conduct inservice training for all school district employees on the methods to respond to trauma. Makes technical changes having a revisory function. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Adult Protective Services Act. Expands the definition of abuse to include causing any emotional injury to an adult with disabilities aged 18 through 59 or a person aged 60 or older (eligible adults). Provides that, contingent upon adequate funding, the Department on Aging may provide funding for legal assistance for eligible adults. Provides that, for self-neglect cases, the Department shall establish mandatory standards for the provision of emergent casework and follow-up services to mitigate the risk of harm or death to an eligible adult. Provides that, upon receiving a report of self-neglect, a provider agency shall conduct an unannounced face-to-face visit at the residence of the eligible adult to administer an eligibility screening to quickly determine if the eligible adult is posing a substantial threat to himself or herself or to others. Sets forth the process and procedures for eligibility screenings. Provides that if an eligibility screening indicates self-neglect, the provider agency shall develop and implement within 5 business days a case plan for the eligible adult in consultation with any other appropriate provider of services. Requires the Department to establish, by rule, the time period within which an eligibility screening shall begin and within which a service plan shall be implemented. As to all investigations conducted under the Act, requires a provider agency to notify the eligible adult, the alleged abuser, and the reporter of abuse of the agency's final investigative findings. Makes changes to provisions concerning an eligible adult's capacity to consent to an eligibility screening. Changes the minimal number of times the Illinois Fatality Review Team Advisory Council must meet each calendar year. Makes other changes. Repeals a provision permitting the Department to use qualified volunteers to provide companion-type services to eligible adults. Amends the Open Meetings Act. Exempts from the requirements of the Act meetings conducted by the Illinois Fatality Review Team Advisory Council and regional interagency fatality review teams.