Rep. Dee Avelar

Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Creates a pre-license practice allowance for an individual enrolled in a specialty or residency training program to practice dentistry prescribed by and incidental to the individual's program of residency or specialty training if the individual applied for a general dental license or a temporary training license. Provides for the conditions of and restrictions on a pre-license practice allowance. Waives the renewal fee for individuals who applied for initial licensure less than 6 months before the start of the renewal period. Waives the renewal fee for the 2024 license renewal cycle for faculty restricted licensees who paid renewal fees in 2022 and 2023 and whose licenses were terminated and then renewed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Effective immediately.

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 in this State shall provide coverage for medically necessary hormone therapy treatment to treat menopause (instead of to treat menopause that has been induced by a hysterectomy). Effective January 1, 2026.

Creates the Mobilizing Our Neighborhoods to Adopt Resilient Conservation Habitats (MONARCH) Act. Authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to provide financial and technical assistance for the planting of native and pollinator-friendly plants. Provides that the Department may prioritize grants based on the presence of certain species. Requires the Department to publish information on its website and design a yard sign. Provides that homeowners associations and common interest communities may not prohibit the planting of a pollinator habitat. Authorizes collaboration. Authorizes the Department to adopt rules. Effective immediately.

Amends the Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Act. Changes the name of the Customized Employment Pilot Program to the Customized Employment Demonstration Program. Provides that the program shall consist of components consistent with specified standards published by the Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center and the Youth Technical Assistance Center under grants from the federal Department of Education. Provides that the Division of Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Human Services shall collect data concerning the successes and challenges of the program and shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly on March 1st of each year beginning in 2026 until the program terminates. Defines "customized employment".

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act, and the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act. Provides that an applicant for an original license to practice who meets the prima facie requirements for licensure may be issued a temporary license to practice while the application is pending. Provides that a person who notifies the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, in writing on forms prescribed by the Department, may place the person's license on inactive status and shall be excused from the payment of renewal fees until the person notifies the Department in writing of the intention to resume active practice. Provides that the Department shall immediately, upon application, restore the license of any individual whose license has expired or is on inactive status for 5 years or less if the individual does not have a history of disciplinary action taken against the person's license. Provides that the Department shall establish and maintain a resident endorsement schedule, which shall be a comprehensive list of jurisdictions whose licensing requirements for licensees are substantially equivalent to the requirements imposed on residents of this State. Makes conforming and other changes.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules requiring the nursing assistant certification exam to be offered in both English and Spanish. Effective immediately.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Adds definitions. Provides that the minimum ratio for each provider type shall be no less than any such ratio established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that the maximum travel time and distance standards and appointment wait time standards shall be no greater than any such standards established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Makes changes to provisions concerning network adequacy, notice of nonrenewal or termination, transition of services, network transparency, administration and enforcement, provider requirements, and provider directory information. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Makes changes to provisions concerning notice of nonrenewal or termination and transition of services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Department of Insurance to adopt emergency rules implementing federal standards for provider ratios, time and distance, or appointment wait times when such standards apply to health insurance coverage regulated by the Department of Insurance and are more stringent than the State standards extant at the time the final federal standards are published. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Creates a process that Illinois residents may use to seek an Illinois judicial order making findings of fact to change a government-issued document from another state or country so that they may petition the issuing jurisdiction to change such a document.

Amends the Illinois Health and Hazardous Substances Registry Act. Repeals the provision establishing the Health and Hazardous Substances Coordinating Council. Repeals provisions which set forth the Council's duties. Makes conforming changes throughout. Effective immediately.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act for a consumer reporting agency: (1) to make, create, or furnish any consumer report or credit report containing, incorporating, or reflecting any adverse information that the consumer reporting agency knows or should know relates to medical debt incurred by the consumer or a collection action against the consumer to collect medical debt; and (2) to maintain in the file on a consumer any information relating to medical debt incurred by a consumer or a collection action against the consumer to collect medical debt.