Rep. Tony McCombie

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to submit to the General Assembly no later than March 1 of each year a report in relation to the ongoing case files of the Department, the caseload tracking system or systems operated by the Department, the ratio of active case files to active Department personnel, and how appropriations to the Department can be structured to incentivize the Department to manage its caseload and to reduce the burden of individual case responsibilities upon individual Department personnel.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to pay for all inpatient stays at a hospital beginning on the 3rd day a child is in the hospital beyond medical necessity, and the parent or caregiver has denied the child access to the home and has refused or failed to make provisions for another living arrangement for the child or the child's discharge is being delayed due to a pending inquiry or investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services. In a provision requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to pay the DCFS per diem rate for inpatient psychiatric stays at a free-standing psychiatric hospital or a hospital with a pediatric or adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit, requires the Department to pay the DCFS per diem rate effective the 3rd day (rather than the 11th day) when a child is in the hospital beyond medical necessity.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that beginning on and after January 1, 2025, a foster family home that includes a pregnant or parenting youth in care and any child of the parenting youth shall be eligible to receive additional foster care payments from the Department of Children and Family Services to cover all reasonable costs incurred by the foster family in caring for the pregnant or parenting youth and any child of the parenting youth. Provides that the parenting youth must be the full-time custodial parent of the child for whom the foster family is requesting additional payment. Permits the Department to prescribe by rule which costs and expenses qualify as "reasonable costs" eligible for payment. Grants the Department rulemaking authority. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Establishes the fiscal year 2025 mileage reimbursement rate and allowance for lodging and meals. Amends the Compensation Review Act. Prohibits cost-of-living adjustments for or during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024 for State government legislative and executive elected officers and appointees in positions for which the Compensation Review Board previously recommended or determined compensation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article and the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes a provision requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to cover kidney transplantation services for noncitizens under the medical assistance program. Removes provisions permitting the Department to provide medical services to noncitizens 42 years of age and older. Removes a provision requiring the Department to cover immunosuppressive drugs and related services associated with post kidney transplant management for noncitizens. Removes provisions concerning the adoption of emergency rules and other matters regarding medical coverage or services for noncitizens.

Declares October of 2024 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and supports and commends the efforts of the people and organizations who work tirelessly to help victims break free of the devastating effects of domestic abuse.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, and the State Finance Act. Provides for a sales tax holiday on school supplies during the first 7 days of August of each calendar year. Effective immediately.

Amends the University of Illinois Act. In provisions concerning scholarships for the children of veterans, provides that an honorary scholarship may also be given to the children of persons who served at any time during the invasion of Panama between December 20, 1989 and January 31, 1990.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Permits the operation of an all-terrain vehicle that meets certain criteria on any street, roadway, or highway in the State, unless the highway is an interstate system, is near a grade-separated portion of the highway, is within a municipality, or has a posted speed limit higher than 45 miles per hour. Provides that an all-terrain vehicle must be registered with the Secretary of State if the all-terrain vehicle is operated on roads within the State. Provides for the distribution of registration fees. Outlines the vehicle equipment requirements for the operation of an all-terrain vehicle on a roadway. Establishes that a township, county, or other unit of local government may authorize, by ordinance or resolution, the operation of all-terrain vehicles on roadways under its jurisdiction if the unit of local government determines that the public safety will not be jeopardized. Requires a non-highway vehicle that is manufactured not to exceed 40 miles per hour to have a slow moving emblem on the rear of the non-highway vehicle. Provides that the Department of Transportation may authorize the operation of all-terrain vehicles on the roadways under its jurisdiction if the Department determines that the public safety will not be jeopardized. Allows a unit of local government or the Department to restrict the types of all-terrain vehicles that are authorized to be used on its streets. Provides that a unit of local government that permits the use of an all-terrain vehicle on its roadways shall not be deemed liable for crashes involving the use of an all-terrain vehicle on its roadways. Makes other changes.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Knight-Silas Act. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that aggravated battery, other than by the discharge of a firearm, includes a battery committed by a person who, at the time of the commission of the offense, is 21 years of age or older and the battery was committed upon an individual whom the person committing the offense knows to be a person working under the Adult Protective Services Program or an Ombudsman under the State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program of the Department on Aging, or a Department of Children and Family Services employee: (1) performing his or her official duties; (2) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or (3) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties. Provides that a violation is a Class 2 felony, except if the battery causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to an individual, a violation is a Class 1 felony. Defines "Department of Children and Family Services employee" and "ombudsman".