Rep. Anne Stava

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish and administer, by January 1, 2027, a Certified Family Health Aide Program that permits a legally responsible family caregiver or family member to receive specific training from a participating licensed home health agency, home nursing agency, or home services agency on the provision of private duty nursing services. Provides that a legally responsible family caregiver or family member who successfully completes training and meets all other applicable requirements under State or federal law shall receive certification as a certified family health aide and be eligible to provide private duty nursing services to a qualifying family member under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment benefit or through any home and community-based services waiver program for medically fragile and technology dependent children. Provides that no home health agency, home nursing agency, home services agency, or legally responsible family caregiver or family member is required to participate in the program. Contains provisions on training and instruction requirements for certification; additional hands-on training provided by participating agencies; competency requirements for certified family health aides; background check requirements; reimbursement rates for certified family health aide services; Department rules and reporting requirements; monthly meetings between the Department and participating agencies during the implementation phase of the program; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Defines "biometric identifier" to include neural data. Defines "neural data" as information that is generated by the measurement of activity of an individual's central or peripheral nervous system, and that is not inferred from non-neural information.

Creates the Protective Medical Equipment Freedom Act. Provides that every individual has the right to wear protective medical equipment in any place of public accommodation where they have a lawful right to be without obligation to disclose health status or any other protected information, and no person, entity, or authority shall deny, restrict, or infringe upon this right. Operators and public officials shall not discriminate against or penalize medical device wearers for exercising their right to wear protective medical equipment. Discrimination under this Act includes, but is not limited to: denial of service; eviction from premises; any form of harassment to remove or refrain from wearing such equipment for any amount of time; and specified actions taken by employers. Sets forth provisions concerning protection against retaliation; exceptions for security requirements and operational safety; enforcement by the Attorney General; and penalties for violating the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Trustees Article of the Illinois Local Library Act. Provides that a candidate for the position of library trustee must have a valid library card for the library.

Amends the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act. Provides that, beginning 18 months after the amendatory Act's effective date, (1) no store or food service business shall provide or sell a single-use plastic carryout bag to a customer and (2) no grocery store shall provide or sell a single-use paper carryout bag to a customer. Preempts home rule powers. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that none of the provisions of the Act shall prevent an unlicensed person from engaging in a standardized 5-needle protocol if the person satisfies specified conditions. Provides that the treatment utilizing the 5-needle protocol shall be limited to the insertion of disposable, sterile acupuncture needles into the ear and only in compliance with the 5-needle protocol. Provides that the application or insertion of needles anywhere else on the body of another person by a person shall be considered engaging in the practice of acupuncture without a license.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that in a community of manufactured homes, where the water system in the community is connected to a municipal public water supply system, potable water shall be provided at each manufactured home site. Provides that where a manufactured home community owner or operator bills the residents of the community using monthly line-item charges for utilities, including, but not limited to, water, those charges shall be based on either: (i) a resident's actual usage, as measured by submeters installed on each manufactured home site within the community; or (ii) a ratio utility billing system, in the absence of submeters, in which charges for water shall be divided by certain criteria, including, but not limited to, the number of occupants per household, the square footage of the manufactured home, or other factors. Provides that the ratio utility billing system shall not bill all residents of the community equally for a water utility bill issued to the manufactured home community owner or operator by the municipal public water supply system. Provides that where a manufactured home community does not have existing submeters, submeters shall be installed at the expense of the manufactured home community owner or operator. Provides that the community owner or operator shall be considered the water supplier and is the party responsible for the water distribution system up to the individual service line at each manufactured home site. Provides that the owner or operator shall be responsible for all maintenance and associated costs of any meters and submeters, within the community, installed outside and beneath a manufactured home. Provides that the amendatory Act shall not apply to any manufactured home community that has its own water source, including, but not limited to, a well.

Creates the Illinois Appliance Standards Act. Directs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to adopt minimum efficiency standards for covered products. Provides for testing, certification, and labeling of covered products. Contains provisions concerning enforcement of the Act's requirements. Provides for administrative rulemaking by the Agency. Makes findings. Defines terms.

Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 of the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a public service company that is a member of a Regional Transmission Organization shall submit a report to the Illinois Commerce Commission on or before February 1 of each year of any recorded vote cast by the public service company during the immediately preceding calendar year. Provides that a public service company that is a member of a Regional Transmission Organization shall include in the report any recorded vote cast by an affiliate at a meeting of a Regional Transmission Organization during the immediately preceding calendar year. Provides that the report shall include: (i) all recorded votes cast by the public service company, regardless of whether the vote is otherwise disclosed; (ii) all votes cast by an affiliate of the public service company, if the public service company did not vote on the matter; and (iii) a brief description explaining how each vote cast by the public service company or its affiliate, as appropriate, is in the interest of the public.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that the Act does not prohibit the practice of relevant nursing care by a legally responsible caregiver or a person designated by a legally responsible caregiver who has been certified as a certified family health aide for the specified services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Establishes requirements for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to apply for a Home and Community-Based Services State Plan amendment and federal waiver amendment necessary to reimburse a legally responsible caregiver or a person designated by a legally responsible caregiver who has achieved certification as a certified family health aide to perform the specified services. Creates the Certified Family Health Aide Program for Children and Adults Act. Establishes certification requirements for a certified family health aide through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that a certified family health aides must be legally responsible caregiver and 18 years or older, have a relationship with a specified family member, and be certified to perform or assist in performing the specified nursing services. Amends the Home Health, Home Services, Home Nursing Act to include a certified family health aide under a home nursing agency and provides training and recordkeeping requirements for home nursing agencies. Amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act and the Hospital Licensing Act to require similar training and recordkeeping requirements in children's community-based health care center and in hospitals managing the care of an individual being discharged under the care of a home nursing agency.