Rep. Anne Stava

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires hospitals and birthing centers to adopt and maintain written policies and procedures authorizing a patient enrolled in the medical assistance program to select an Illinois Medicaid certified and enrolled doula of the patient's choice to accompany the patient within the facility's premises for the purposes of providing support before, during, and after labor and childbirth, and during the patient's entire postpartum stay. Provides that the doula shall be considered part of the patient's care team and shall not be counted as a support person or against any guest quota. Requires hospitals and birthing centers to provide a written copy of their policies and procedures to maternity patients, the facilities' maternity health care providers, and any other person at the patient's request. Requires publication of the written policies on each facility's website. Contains provisions concerning hospital and birthing center liaisons and doulas certification acknowledgment requirements. Permits the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Public Health to establish standing recommendations to meet Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirements and ensure access to preventive services, including Medicaid-covered maternal and reproductive health supports and services.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 shall provide coverage for all medically necessary diagnostic testing and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments or medications prescribed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease or another related dementia, in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration label, as determined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches. Provides that coverage of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments or medications prescribed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease or another related dementia shall not be subject to step therapy. Amends the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeals Act. Permits the following persons to appeal a municipality's denial of a proposed supportive housing project, including a project to develop a permanent supportive housing apartment building or community integrated-living arrangement, for low-income persons with disabilities: (1) the affordable housing developer of the proposed project; (2) a person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the proposed project; and (3) the community group or supportive housing advocacy group advocating for the proposed project. Provides that if a municipality fails to respond to an appeal within 60 days of its receipt, the State Housing Appeals Board (Board) shall automatically reverse the municipality's decision to deny the proposed supportive housing project. Provides that if the municipality timely responds to the appeal, it must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the proposed supportive housing project would be detrimental to the fair operation and interest of the municipality or would place an unreasonable and disproportionate financial burden on the municipality or on municipal services. Requires the Board to reverse the municipality's decision to deny the proposed supportive housing project if the Board determines that the municipality has not met this burden.

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Adds electrification industries to clean energy jobs. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility may cease providing service if the Illinois Commerce Commission determines that adequate substitute service is available at a reasonable cost to support the existing end uses of the affected utility customers. Provides for cost-effective energy efficiency measures for natural gas utilities that supersede existing provisions concerning natural gas energy efficiency programs and take effect beginning January 1, 2025. Provides that gas main and gas service extension policies shall be based on the principle that the full incremental cost associated with new development and growth shall be borne by the customers that cause those incremental costs. Provides that, no later than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed rulemaking reviewing each gas public utility tariff that provides for gas main and gas service extensions without additional charge to new customers in excess of the default extensions as specified in administrative rule. Adds the Clean Building Heating Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning emissions standards for heating in buildings, as well as related and other provisions. Adds the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Standard Article to the Act, with provisions concerning options for compliance, measures for customer emission reduction, customer emission reductions, tradable clean heat credits, banking of emission reductions, equity in emission reductions, enforcement, the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Pathways Study, gas infrastructure planning, a study on gas utility financial incentive reform, and reporting requirements. Adds the Statewide Navigator Program Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning creation of a statewide navigator program, as well as related and other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes Act. Provides that the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes shall research and identify any discriminatory practices used by insurance companies in the ratemaking process for home insurance and automobile insurance, including, but not limited to, the use of zip codes, credit scores, and age in a manner that results in inequitable rates being assessed to certain populations. Provides that, beginning with the report that is due by March 30, 2026, the Commission shall include any findings and recommendations it makes concerning discriminatory practices used by insurance companies in its report to the Governor and the General Assembly. Effective immediately.

Amends the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, the rules adopted under the Act shall cause the Agency to establish one rebate application cycle for each State fiscal year, shall cause each rebate application cycle to have a duration of one State fiscal year, and shall cause the Agency to accept rebate applications and issue rebates under the Act throughout each rebate application cycle.

Creates the Illinois Good Food Purchasing Policy Task Force to study the current procurement of food within the State and explore how Good Food Purchasing can be implemented to maximize the procurement of healthy foods that are sustainably, locally, and equitably sourced.

Amends the College Campus Press Act. Defines "public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning". Provides that all public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is a public forum for expression by the employees producing media at the particular institution of higher learning. Provides that public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning shall not be subject to prior review by public officials of a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Allows an employee working for or an agent of an entity creating public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning to commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by a court for violation of the Act by such State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that expression made by an employee or agent of an entity producing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is neither expression of campus policy nor speech attributable to a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that a State-sponsored institution of higher learning shall be immune from any lawsuit arising from expression actually made by the public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning

Maddy summaryHB 248 makes a technical amendment to the Bias-Free Child Removal Pilot Program Act. Specifically, it revises a section related to the short title of that existing act.

Declares the month of July 2025 as Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA) Awareness Month in the State of Illinois. Encourages funding for research organizations working towards finding the cause and the cure of SJIA in order to prevent this disease and offer successful treatment options.