Rep. Steve Reick

Amends the General Obligation Bond Act. Authorizes an additional $1,000,000,000 of State Pension Obligation Acceleration Bonds. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Employees, State Universities, and Downstate Teachers Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Extends the option for a participant to receive an accelerated pension benefit payment in lieu of any pension benefit or for a reduction in the increases to his or her annual retirement annuity and survivor's annuity to June 30, 2026 (instead of June 30, 2024). Effective immediately.

Designates the Main Street bridge over I-80 in Princeton as the "Staff Sergeant Lincoln Hollinsaid Memorial Bridge".

Declares June 12, 2022 as "Women's Veterans Day" to commemorate the day women were officially added as regular members of the United States military, to recognize the critical role of women in the military forces, and to commemorate the sacrifices and valor displayed by Illinois women veterans.

Declares August 2022 as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.

Urges the federal government to allocate more funding toward finding a cure for Lyme disease and declares May 2022 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.

Mourns the passing of Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Riley.

Creates the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act. Provides for the licensure of certified professional midwives by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and for certain limitations on the activities of licensed certified professional midwives. Creates the Illinois Midwifery Board. Sets forth provisions concerning application; qualifications; exemptions; title protection; informed consent; consultation and referral; grounds for disciplinary action; reporting; and administrative procedures. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to set a repeal date for the new Act of January 1, 2032. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 80/4.41 new Adds reference to: New Act 5 ILCS 80/4.37 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Further amends the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act. Creates provisions concerning Social Security Numbers on license applications; inactive status; grounds for disciplinary action; restoration of license; surrender of license; temporary suspension of license; rehearing; administrative review and certification of records; injunctions; investigation, notice, and hearings; hearing reports; hearing officers; motions for rehearing; certification of records by Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; violations; and fees. Make changes in provisions concerning definitions; exemptions; the Illinois Midwifery Board; powers and duties of the Department; licensure; expiration and renewal of licensure; scope of practice; annual reports; and vicarious liability. Further amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Provides for repeal of the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act on January 1, 2027 (rather than January 1, 2032). Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes: Amends the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act. In provisions concerning the Illinois Midwifery Board, provides that all board members must be residents of the State. Provides that all board members, except for the public member, must be licensed in good standing and, at the time of appointment, actively engaged in their respective professions. In provisions concerning licensure, provides that applicants have 3 years from the date of application to complete the application process. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions; Social Security Numbers on license applications; exemptions; informed consent; scope of practice; transfer; annual reports; grounds for disciplinary action; and investigations, notice, and hearings. Removes references to the Disciplinary Board. Adds a January 1, 2022 effective date. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1 with the following changes: Provides that no physician, nurse, emergency medical personnel, hospital, or other health care institution shall be liable for any act or omission resulting from the provision of services by any licensed certified professional midwife solely on the basis that (rather than even if) the physician, nurse, emergency medical personnel, hospital, or other health care institution has consulted with or accepted a referral from the licensed certified professional midwife. Changes the effective date to October 1, 2022.

Creates the Pembroke Township Natural Gas Investment Pilot Program Act. Directs the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create a pilot program for the distribution of grants for the construction of new natural gas pipelines and infrastructure in Pembroke Township. Requires applicants for grants to demonstrate that the grants will result in the construction of a new natural gas pipeline to provide natural gas to the residents of the township. Provides that the Department shall report annually to the Governor and General Assembly beginning in 2022 regarding cost estimates for the Pilot Program, recommendations for improvement to the Pilot Program, and a recommendation as to whether the Pilot Program should be continued. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Pembroke Township Natural Gas Investment Pilot Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas public utility may apply for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to increase its gas service territory and extend its gas distribution system to serve a designated hardship area. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall, after notice and hearing, grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity if, based upon the application filed with the Commission and the evidentiary record, the Commission finds that specified criteria are satisfied. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Replaces provisions concerning the Pembroke Township Natural Gas Investment Pilot Program with language providing that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create the Pembroke Township Natural Gas Investment Pilot Program for a duration of 5 years. Provides that the Department shall distribute grants, subject to appropriation, from moneys in the Pembroke Township Natural Gas Investment Fund for the conversion of appliances to be compatible with natural gas. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules for the administration of the Program. Provides that, at a minimum, the rules shall require that the applicant for the grants demonstrate that the grants will result in the conversion of necessary equipment to have the ability to utilize natural gas. Provides that the rules shall allow for conversion grants awarded to residents of Pembroke Township and to Pembroke Township to provide assistance for the use of natural gas and shall ensure that the applicant complies with all other requirements of the rules. In provisions amending the Public Utilities Act, makes changes concerning what a gas public utility applying for a certificate of public convenience and necessity shall include in the application and the criteria the Illinois Commerce Commission shall consider in granting the certificate. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that complaints concerning delays and denials of special education services in the 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 school year by the Chicago school district as a result of the adoption of policies and procedures identified by the State Board of Education as unlawful must be filed on or before September 30, 2022 (rather than September 30, 2021). Effective immediately.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, in a rural population of 7,500 or fewer inhabitants, each EMS System medical director shall create an exception to the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to serve as EMTs. Requires each EMS System medical director to accept documentation from an applicant detailing education from either continuing education or documented work experience and practical skill credentialing including, but not limited to, airway management, ambulance operations, extrication, telecommunications, and pre-hospital cardiac and trauma care. Requires each EMS System medical director to ensure that applicants meet EMS System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the practice in accordance with the EMS System Plan as an EMT. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, in a rural population of 5,000 or fewer inhabitants, each EMS System Medical Director may create an exception to the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to apply to serve as volunteers who perform the same work as EMTs. Requires that, as part of the volunteer recognition process, EMS Systems shall ensure that registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses have an active license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that the system-level recognition shall require documentation and proof of the completion of at least 20 hours of prehospital care-specific coursework approved by the Department of Public Health and 8 hours of observant riding time. Provides that each EMS System Medical Director who creates an exception to the credentialing process may require additional training or documentation and may reject a volunteer applicant for just cause. Provides that each exemption period shall be no longer than one year, after which time a volunteer applicant may apply for another exemption. Provides that each EMS System Medical Director is responsible for ensuring that volunteer applicants meet EMS System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the practice in accordance with the EMS System plan for basic life support. Provides that exceptions to the credentialing process are only allowable for volunteer EMS agencies in Illinois.