Rep. Sonya Harper

Creates the Student Debt Assistance Act. Prohibits an institution of higher learning or a public or private entity that provides academic transcripts from (i) withholding academic transcripts from a current or former student because the student owes a debt to the institution, (ii) conditioning the provision of an academic transcript on the payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the transcript, (iii) charging a higher fee to obtain an academic transcript or providing less favorable treatment of a request for an academic transcript because a current or former student owes a debt, or (iv) using academic transcript issuance as a tool for debt collection. Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, requires an institution of higher learning to make a good faith effort to offer a debt repayment plan to any student who owes a debt of $250 or more to the institution. Sets forth provisions concerning the debt repayment plan and enrollment procedures. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Student Debt Assistance Act. Prohibits an institution of higher education from refusing to provide an unofficial transcript to a current or former student on the grounds that the student owes a debt; conditioning the provision of an unofficial transcript on the payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the transcript; or charging a higher fee for obtaining an unofficial transcript or providing less favorable treatment of a request for an unofficial transcript because a current or former student owes a debt. Provides that an institution of higher education (1) must provide an official transcript of a current or former student to a current or potential employer, even if the current or former student owes a debt; (2) may not condition the provision of an official transcript to a current or potential employer on the payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the transcript; and (3) may not charge a higher fee for transferring an official transcript to a current or potential employer or provide less favorable treatment for such a request because a current or former student owes a debt. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, requires every institution of higher education to have a policy instituting a financial or physical hardship withdrawal process; sets forth requirements concerning the process. Provides that if an institution of higher education chooses to send a current or former student's past due debt to a debt collection agency, the past due debt may not be reported to any credit reporting agencies or used against that student in a credit report or credit score. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Provides that if an institution of higher education chooses to send a current or former student's past due debt to a debt collection agency, the past due debt may not be reported to any credit reporting agencies, except as provided by federal law (instead of may not be reported to any credit reporting agencies or used against that student in a credit report or credit score).

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to create within the Office of Health Promotion the Division of Men's Health. Provides that the Division shall concentrate on raising awareness of specified health issues specific to men. Provides that the Division shall complete an annual assessment in collaboration with the schools of public health in Illinois of the status of men's health and recommend policy developments to address those needs and identify the services needed. Requires the Division to review the assessment and make recommendations to the General Assembly. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Removes language requiring the Division of Men's Health to be created within the Office of Health Promotion.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that tangible personal property sold by or on behalf of the State Treasurer pursuant to the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act is exempt. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the bill is effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that notwithstanding a positive test for the presence of cannabis within the petitioner's body from a drug test taken within 30 days before the filing of the petition for expungement or sealing or the failure of the petitioner to take such test, the petitioner may petition for the sealing or expungement of his or her felony records for a violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Cannabis Control Act or felony records of a qualified probation for a felony drug offense. Defines "cannabis" and "felony drug offense". House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court shall not deny a petition for expungement or sealing because the petitioner has submitted a drug test taken within 30 days before the filing of the petition for expungement or sealing that indicates a positive test for the presence of cannabis within the petitioner's body. Defines "cannabis".

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that in order to maximize the accessibility of preventive prenatal and perinatal health care services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall amend its managed care contracts such that an managed care organization must pay for preventive prenatal and perinatal healthcare services rendered by a non-affiliated provider, for which the health plan would pay if rendered by an affiliated provider, at the same rate the Department would pay for such services exclusive of disproportionate share payments and Medicaid percentage adjustments, unless a different rate was agreed upon by the health plan and the non-affiliated provider. Effective January 1, 2023. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 210 ILCS 170/5 210 ILCS 170/25 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1 with the following changes. Amends the Birth Center Licensing Act. Provides that a licensed certified professional midwife may attend or be delegated to attend to each person in labor from the time of admission through birth and throughout the immediate postpartum period. Defines "licensed certified professional midwife". Makes a conforming change. Effective January 1, 2023. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes: Further amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that a managed care organization must pay for preventative prenatal services, perinatal healthcare services, and postpartum services rendered by a non-affiliated provider, for which the health plan would pay if rendered by an affiliated provider, at the rate paid (rather than at no less than the rate paid) under the Illinois Medicaid fee-for-service program methodology for such services. Provides that, in cases where a managed care organization must pay for preventive prenatal services, perinatal healthcare services, and postpartum services rendered by a non-affiliated provider, the payment rate requirements under the amendatory Act shall not apply if the services were not emergency services, as defined in a specified provision of the Code, and: (1) the non-affiliated provider is a perinatal hospital and has, within the 12 months preceding the date of service, rejected a contract that was offered in good faith by the health plan as determined by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; or (2) the health plan has terminated a contract with the non-affiliated provider for cause, and the Department has not deemed the termination to have been without merit. Provides that the Department may deem that a determination for cause has merit if: (i) an institutional provider has repeatedly failed to conduct discharge planning; or (ii) the provider's conduct adversely and substantially impacts the health of Medicaid patients; or (iii) the provider's conduct constitutes fraud, waste, or abuse; or (iv) the provider's conduct violates the code of ethics governing his or her profession. Effective January 1, 2023.

Amends the Technology Advancement and Development Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 700/1001 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 505/21.6 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a child protective investigator is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, such as mace, pepper mace, or pepper gas, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the child protective investigator has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Illinois State Police. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a training program for child protective investigators on the proper use of personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide funding for the training program. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a front-line staff member is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, as defined, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the front-line staff member has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Department of Children and Family Services, in consultation with the Illinois State Police. Provides that by January 1, 2023, the Department, in consultation with the Illinois State Police, shall (i) identify a list of approved personal protection spray devices and (ii) jointly develop and approve a training curriculum and program for front-line staff members on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department to provide funding for the training program. Sets forth specific circumstances under which a front-line staff member may use a personal protection spray device including if the front-line staff member: (i) reasonably believes that use is necessary to protect the staff member from an imminent physical assault posed by another person; (ii) uses the device to incapacitate a person attempting a physical assault in order to avoid imminent physical harm and to facilitate escape from danger when there is no other alternative available to the front-line staff member; and (iii) except in exigent circumstances, has issued a verbal warning to persons in close proximity to the spray area. Provides that a front-line staff member's use of personal protection spray devices during the performance of his or her professional duties in any manner other than as expressly authorized under the amendatory Act shall be prohibited by Department policy. Provides that whenever a front-line staff member discharges a personal protection spray device, the front-line staff member shall complete an incident report. Provides that, following the discharge of a personal protection spray device that results in exposure, the front-line staff member shall notify his or her supervisor and, if appropriate, call 9-1-1 for emergency response or responders as soon as reasonably practical and when safe to do so. Requires the Department to annually report and publish on its website, beginning January 1, 2024, the number of front-line staff members trained to carry personal protection spray devices, the number of front-line staff members reporting personal protection spray devices and the make or model of the devices, and the number of reported uses of personal protection spray devices by service region. Provides that, in addition, the Department shall report each incident involving the deployment of a personal protection spray device that occurred during the preceding calendar year, including: (1) the estimated age, gender, and race of the intended target of the personal protection spray device; (2) whether there were injuries to the intended target resulting from the deployment of the personal protection spray device; (3) the age, gender, and race of the front-line staff member who utilized the personal protection spray device; and (4) whether there were injuries to the front-line staff member resulting from the incident. Requires the Department to also report yearly data on the number of personal protection spray device deployments found to be against Department policy. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that each institution or facility of the Department of Corrections shall hire a reentry specialist to assist with the reentry of offenders into the community. Provides that the Department shall by rule provide for the duties and responsibilities of reentry specialists.

Amends the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health or its delegate agency shall (rather than may) conduct a follow-up inspection of any dwelling unit for which a mitigation notice was issued.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for the issuance of Future Farmers of America license plate decals by the Department of Agriculture. Creates the Future Farmers of America Fund. Provides that all money in the Future Farmers of America Fund shall be paid as grants to the Illinois Association of Future Farmers of America. Makes a corresponding change in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Repeals a provision requiring the Department of Human Services to collect and publicly report statistical data on the racial and ethnic demographics of program participants for each program administered by the Department.