Rep. Jonathan Carroll

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Requires proof that each party to the marriage has attained the age of 18 years in order to obtain a license to marry and a marriage certificate from the county clerk. Deletes language allowing proof that each party to the marriage will have attained the age of 18 years at the time the marriage license is effective or will have attained the age of 16 years and has either the consent to the marriage of both parents or his guardian or judicial approval. Repeals a provision regarding judicial approval of underage marriages. Effective immediately.

Creates the Equitable Access to Electronic Literature Act. Provides that any publisher who offers a contract or license for electronic literary product acquisition to the public shall offer to license the electronic literary product to libraries, if purchased with public funds, on reasonable terms and under reasonable technological protection measures that will permit libraries to provide their patrons with access to the electronic literary products. Provides that a contract or license shall not restrict a library's right or ability to loan or circulate electronic books and digital audiobooks in specified ways. Provides that a person who violates the provisions of the Act commits an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Effective January 1, 2023.

Amends the General Assembly Organization Act. Provides that until January 1, 2023, the General Assembly shall not enact any law creating any new unit of local government. Repeals the Section on January 1, 2023. Effective immediately.

Declares November 7, 2021 as Victims of Communism Memorial Day.

Creates the Mind Strong Act. Requires the Department of Public Health, or a third party contractor with experience in successful public education and awareness campaigns selected by the Department of Public Health, to develop and lead a 2-year educational campaign within each of Illinois' 11 health regions on the availability of adult mobile crisis response services within each region. Requires the Department to work in collaboration with community stakeholders, including certain organizations, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Department of Human Services. Requires the public awareness campaign to begin no later than January 1, 2022. Sets forth certain requirements for the public awareness campaign, including that it be culturally competent and that any written materials be written in plain, easy-to-understand language and available in multiple languages that are representative of the communities in a particular health region. Lists the types of organizations that must be the focus of the educational campaign. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish, subject to appropriation, a grant program for adult mobile crisis response services to any adult age 18 or older experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis regardless of insurance status. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop and implement training and protocols for individuals answering crisis calls to the Crisis and Referral Entry Services (CARES) line. Contains provisions concerning the use of data to strengthen CARES line responses and adult mobile crisis response services, and other matters. Requires the Departments of Public Health, Human Services, and Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules to implement the Act. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Alternatives to Crisis Escalation (ACE) Act. Requires the Department of Public Health, or a third-party contractor with experience in successful public education and awareness campaigns selected by the Department of Public Health, to develop and lead a 2-year educational campaign within each of Illinois' 11 health regions on the availability of adult mobile crisis response services within each region and how to access such services. Requires the Department to develop and implement this public awareness and educational campaign in collaboration with community stakeholders, including certain organizations, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Department of Human Services. Requires the public awareness campaign to begin no later than January 1, 2022 and to take into account crisis services, if any. Sets forth certain requirements for the public awareness campaign, including that it be culturally competent and that any written materials be written in plain, easy-to-understand language and available in multiple languages that are representative of the communities in a particular health region. Lists the types of stakeholders that shall be included as partner-stakeholders in the development of the campaign. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish, subject to appropriation, a grant program for the purposes of providing adult mobile crisis response services to any adult age 18 or older experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis regardless of insurance status. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop and implement training and protocols for individuals answering crisis calls to the Crisis and Referral Entry Services (CARES) line. Contains provisions concerning the use of data to strengthen CARES line responses and adult mobile crisis response services, and other matters. Requires the Departments of Public Health, Human Services, and Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules to implement the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no provision of the Illinois Insurance Code or any other law prohibits an insured under any policy of life insurance, or any other person who may be the owner of any rights under such policy, from making an irrevocable assignment of all or any part of his or her rights and privileges, not to exceed the purchase price of the prepaid burial contract, under the policy to a funeral home and to have an individual policy issued in accordance with specified provisions of the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act. Provides that nothing shall prohibit the purchaser of a life insurance policy or tax-deferred annuity contract for the purpose of funding a pre-need contract from irrevocably assigning ownership of the policy or annuity to a funeral home (rather than person) or trust for the purpose of obtaining favorable consideration for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or another public assistance program, as permitted under federal law. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to exempt certain prepaid funeral or burial contracts from consideration when making an eligibility determination for medical assistance, provides that at any time after submitting an application for medical assistance and before the Department makes a final determination of eligibility, an applicant may use available resources to purchase one of the exempted prepaid funeral or burial contracts. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 5/245.3 new 225 ILCS 45/2a Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill but without the amendatory changes made to the Illinois Insurance Code and the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/245.3 new 225 ILCS 45/1a from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73.101a 225 ILCS 45/2a 225 ILCS 45/2b new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an insured or any other person who may be the owner of rights under a policy of life insurance may make an irrevocable assignment of all or a part of his or her rights under the policy to a funeral home in accordance with a specified provision of the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act. Provides that a policy owner who executes a designation beneficiary form irrevocably waives and cannot exercise certain rights, including the right to collect from the insurance company the net proceeds of the policy when it becomes a claim by death and the right to collect or receive income, distributions, or shares of surplus, dividend deposits, refunds of premium, or additions to the policy. Amends the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act. In a provision concerning pre-need contracts funded through the purchase of a life insurance policy or tax-deferred annuity contract, provides that nothing shall prohibit the purchaser from irrevocably assigning ownership of the policy or annuity to a person or trust or from irrevocably assigning the benefits of the policy or annuity to a funeral home for the purpose of obtaining favorable consideration for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or another public assistance program. Provides that the form prepared by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or by the insurance company shall provide for an irrevocable designation of beneficiary of one or more life insurance policies. Requires the insured or any other person who may be the owner of rights under the policy of whole life insurance to sign a guaranteed pre-need contract with the provider that describes the cost of the funeral goods and services to be provided upon the person's death, up to $6,774, in addition to the purchase of burial spaces as defined under the Act. Requires the licensee to annually report certain information to the Comptroller. Requires the proceeds of the life insurance policy to be paid to the provider and disbursed in a certain order upon the death of the insured. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to exempt certain prepaid funeral or burial contracts from consideration when making an eligibility determination for medical assistance, provides that at any time after submitting an application for medical assistance and before the Department makes a final determination of eligibility, an applicant may use available resources to purchase one of the exempted prepaid funeral or burial contracts. Exempts up to $6,774 (rather than $5,874) in funds under an irrevocable prepaid funeral or burial contract when determining an individual's resources and eligibility for medical assistance. Provides that existing life insurance policies are exempt if there has been an irrevocable declaration of proceeds at the death of the insured. Requires the insured person to sign an irrevocable designation of beneficiary form declaring that any amounts payable from the policies not used for funeral goods and services shall be received by the State up to an amount equal to the total medical assistance paid on behalf of the person with any remaining funds paid to a secondary beneficiary (if any) listed on the policy.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that a person commits an unlawful practice when he or she, in connection with any telecommunications service or voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, knowingly causes any caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to deceive, defraud, mislead, harass, cause emotional distress, or wrongfully obtain anything of value. Provides exemptions.

Amends the Sales Finance Agency Act to provide that a sales finance agency shall not finance, enter into a retail installment contract, or make a loan for the purchase of a companion animal as defined by the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that if a sales finance agency violates the provisions of the Section, the financing, retail installment contract, or loan shall be null and void and the sales finance agency shall have no right to collect, receive, or retain any principal, interest, or charges related to the loan, retail installment contract, or financing.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to create the Health Care Sharing Ministries Article. Provides that a person must file specified information with the Department of Insurance to operate as a health care sharing ministry in the State. Provides that a health care sharing ministry shall submit an annual filing of information to the Department. Provides that filing fees shall be deposited into the Insurance Financial Regulation Fund. Provides that a health care sharing ministry shall provide specified written notice on or accompanying all applications, guideline materials, and written advertisements, including print and digital advertisements, distributed by or on behalf of the ministry. Sets forth provisions concerning an annual audit. Provides that the Attorney General may issue an emergency cease and desist order in specified circumstances. Provides that a health care sharing ministry that violates the provisions is liable for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $25,000 for each violation. Provides that a health care sharing ministry operating in the State is not required to submit a filing before March 1, 2022, and that the ministry may continue operating without a filing until April 1, 2022, but may not operate as a health care sharing ministry after April 1, 2022 until the ministry submits a filing. Provides that a student at an institution of higher education who is a member of a health care sharing ministry may use the membership to comply with a requirement by the institution that the student maintain health benefit coverage. Provides that violations of specified provisions are unfair methods of competition and unfair and deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance. Defines terms.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Prohibits a scrap processor or automotive parts recycler from purchasing or receiving a catalytic converter, except from a commercial seller or from the owner of the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed. Establishes record keeping requirements for the purchase or receipt of a catalytic converter. Prohibits a scrap processor or automotive parts recycler from acquiring a catalytic converter that has been removed from a vehicle and sold independently of such a vehicle.