Rep. Bill Hauter

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that a pharmacist may not refuse to fill a valid prescription solely because it is not prescribed electronically. Provides that a compliance action with respect to this provision initiated by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation prior to December 31, 2030 is limited to a non-disciplinary warning letter or citation, unless the prescriber fails to abide by the initial non-disciplinary warning letter or citation, has acted in bad faith, or a pattern of practice in violation of this Section occurs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Changes the definition of "emergency services" to provide that for the purposes of the provisions, emergency services are not required to be provided in the emergency department of a hospital. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law, a health insurance issuer or a contracted utilization review organization may not require prior authorization or approval by the health plan for emergency services.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires that upon approaching an emergency scene, a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or a construction or maintenance area or zone, a person who drives a vehicle shall, proceeding with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision and leaving a safe distance until safely past the stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or construction or maintenance area or zone. Provides that if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe, proceeding with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision, or until safely past the construction or maintenance area or zone.

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 Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no insurer, health maintenance organization, managed care plan, health care plan, preferred provider organization, or third-party administrator, or bank or payment processing company under contract with one of those entities, shall charge a provider a fee, fine, or cost for using an electronic funds transfer process, including, but not limited to, direct deposit, virtual or digital checks, or virtual credit cards, to receive payment for health care services provided to an insured. Amends the Health Maintenance Organization Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall compile, on an annual basis, a list of the most in-demand jobs in this State, along with the starting salary, the median salary, and the typical education level for those jobs. Provides that the Board shall make the list available to the public on its Internet website. Effective July 1, 2024.

Appropriates $1,500,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Natural Resources for a comprehensive study of the Kaskaskia River watershed in coordination with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Effective July 1, 2023.

Declares March 12, 2024 as Pay Equity Day in the State of Illinois. Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Maddy summaryHB 681 is a technical amendment to the Criminal Code that updates the short title of a specific section. This change does not alter any criminal laws or affect the behavior of individuals. The bill involves only a clerical adjustment to the document's naming convention rather than introducing new rules or penalties.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that no tax shall be imposed under the Act for persons dying on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act or for transfers made on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.