Recognizes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2021 and supports and commends the efforts of those people and organizations who work tirelessly to help victims break free of the devastating effects of domestic abuse.
Rep. Sue Scherer
Sponsored bills
Declares the current state of the vaccination program is not satisfactory. Urges the vaccination plan be made fully transparent and readily accessible to the public. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Makes minor changes to the language.
Declares June 27, 2021 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day. Declares June 2021 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month. Urges the Departments of Public Health, Military Affairs, and Veterans Affairs to continue working to educate victims of interpersonal violence, combat, life-threatening accidents, or natural disasters and their families, as well as the general public, about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress injury.
Creates the Community Health Worker Certification and Reimbursement Act. Amends various Acts regarding medical staff credentials; electronic posters and signs; N95 masks; Legionella bacteria testing; continuing education on implicit bias awareness; overdoses; the Prescription Monitoring Program; a dementia training program; taxation of blood sugar testing materials; funding of safety-net hospitals; a Child Care Assistance Program Eligibility Calculator; managed care organizations; Federally Qualified Health Centers; care coordination; billing; the Medicaid Business Opportunity Commission; reimbursement rates; doula services; personal care of family members; the State Health Assessment; the State Health Improvement Plan; child care training; and a Medicaid Managed Care Oversight Commission. Creates the Behavioral Health Workforce Education Center of Illinois Act. Creates the Underlying Causes of Crime and Violence Study Act. Creates the Special Commission on Gynecologic Cancers Act. Creates the Racial Impact Note Act to require the estimate of the impact on racial and ethnic minorities of certain bills. Creates the Health and Human Services Task Force and Study Act to review health and human service departments and programs. Creates the Anti-Racism Commission Act concerning elimination of systemic racism. Creates the Sickle Cell Prevention, Care, and Treatment Program Act regarding programs and other matters. Amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act in relation to the Health Facilities and Services Review Board, facility closure, and other matters. Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Act. Repeals, adds, and changes other provisions. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 305 ILCS 5/9A-11 from Ch. 23, par. 9A-11 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Removes language requiring the SHA and SHIP Partnership to regularly evaluate and update the State Health Assessment and track implementation of the State Health Improvement Plan with revisions as necessary. In provisions amending the Illinois Controlled Substances Act and regarding the Prescription Monitoring Program: (1) presents the findings of the General Assembly; (2) provides that opioid treatment programs may not transmit information without patient consent, and reports made may not be utilized for law enforcement purposes; and (3) provides that treatment of a patient may not be conditioned upon his or her consent to reporting. Removes provisions amending the Illinois Public Aid Code regarding child care. Removes language requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to issue quarterly reports to the Governor and the General Assembly indicating: (i) the number of determinations of noncompliance since the last quarter; (ii) the number of financial penalties imposed; and (iii) the outcome or status of each determination. Makes other changes. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 720 ILCS 570/316 Removes provisions amending the Illinois Controlled Substances Act regarding the Prescription Monitoring Program. Makes changes in provisions amending the Adult Protective Services Act regarding adult protective services dementia training. In provisions regarding increasing access to primary care in hospitals, removes language providing that the program developed by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall encourage coordination between FQHCs and hospitals. In the Sickle Cell Prevention, Care, and Treatment Program Act, provides that expenditures from the Sickle Cell Chronic Disease Fund shall be subject to appropriation. Makes the following changes to the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Act: (1) provides that the Center: (i) shall undertake efforts to identify and engage community-based providers offering behavioral health services or services addressing the social determinants of health, especially those predominantly serving communities of color or those operating within or near service deserts, for the purpose of offering training and technical assistance to them through the Center; and (ii) is committed to the principle that all Medicaid recipients have accessible and equitable physical and mental health care services; (2) requires all providers served through the Center to deliver services notwithstanding the patient's race, color, gender, gender identity, age, ancestry, marital status, military status, religion, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, order of protection status, or immigration status; and (3) provides that moneys in the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund shall be used for specified purposes, subject to appropriation. Makes other changes.
Calls upon the Governor to remember the importance of the arts throughout the budgeting process. Calls upon elected officials and schools throughout the State of Illinois to maintain art programs.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that in distribution of the remaining funds received under the federal Help America Vote Act, the State Board of Elections may make such funds available to election authorities for the maintenance of secure collection sites for the return of vote by mail ballots. Allows election authorities to establish curb-side voting for individuals to cast a ballot during early voting or on election day. Provides that an election authority's curb-side voting program shall designate at least 2 election judges from opposite parties per vehicle and the individual must have the option to mark the ballot without interference from the election judges. Requires election authorities to accept any vote by mail ballot returned, including ballots returned with insufficient or no postage. Allows election authorities to establish secure collection sites for postage-free return of vote by mail ballots. Provides for the collection and processing of vote by mail ballots submitted to collection sites. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall establish additional guidelines for the security of collection sites. Effective immediately.
Congratulates the University of Illinois Men's Basketball Team, the Fighting Illini, on winning the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Championship.
Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 210 ILCS 45/1-101 Adds reference to: 210 ILCS 45/2-106.1 210 ILCS 45/2-204 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4152-204 210 ILCS 45/3-202.05 210 ILCS 45/3-209 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-209 210 ILCS 45/3-305 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-305 210 ILCS 45/3-305.8 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Removes language that requires light intermediate care to be staffed at the same staffing ratio as intermediate care. Provides that for purposes of minimum staffing ratios, all residents shall be classified as requiring either skilled care or intermediate care. Defines "intermediate care" and "skilled care". Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules on or before January 1, 2020 establishing a system for determining compliance with minimum direct care staffing standards and establishing penalties for noncompliance with minimum direct care staffing ratios. Provides that monetary penalties shall be imposed beginning no later than October 1, 2020 and quarterly thereafter. Provides that a violation of the minimum staffing requirements is, at minimum, a Type "B" violation. Provides that a facility that has received a notice of violation for having violated the minimum staffing requirements shall display a notice stating that the facility did not have enough staff to meet the needs of the facility's residents during the quarter cited in the notice of violation. Adds members to the Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board. Provides that the affirmative vote of 7 (instead of 6) members of the Board shall be necessary for Board action. Provides that a prescribing clinician must obtain voluntary informed consent, in writing, from a resident or the resident's legal representative before authorizing the administration of a psychotropic medication to that resident. Provides that a violation of certain provisions concerning informed consent is a Type "A" violation and shall serve as prima facie evidence of abuse or criminal neglect of a person in a long-term care facility under the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that no facility or managed care plan shall deny admission or continued residency to a person or resident based on the refusal of the administration of psychotropic medication, unless the prescribing clinician or facility can demonstrate that the resident's refusal would place the health and safety of the resident, the facility staff, other residents, or visitors at risk. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 210 ILCS 45/3-305 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-305 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1 with the following changes: Throughout the Act, replaces references to a resident's authorized representative with references to a resident's surrogate decision maker. Contains provisions regarding the Department of Public Health's informed consent protocol. Provides that the Department shall utilize the rules, protocols, and forms previously developed and implemented under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, unless specified exceptions apply. Provides that informed consent forms may include side effects that the Department reasonably believes are more common. Provides that informed consent shall be sought by the facility from the resident unless the resident's attending physician determines that the resident lacks decisional capacity, as determined under the Health Care Surrogate Act. Provides that if the resident lacks decisional capacity, the facility shall seek informed consent from the resident's surrogate decision maker. Provides that no monetary penalty may be issued during the implementation period of rules establishing those penalties. Provides that the implementation period shall be July 1, 2020, through September 30, 2020. Provides that if a violation of staffing requirements is not more than a 5% deviation of the required minimum staffing requirements, the Department shall have the discretion to determine the gravity of the violation and, taking into account mitigating and aggravating circumstances and facts, may adjust any penalty or type or class of violation. Provides a notice form for facilities that do not meet the minimum staffing ratios. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 210 ILCS 45/2-106.1 210 ILCS 45/2-204 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4152-204 210 ILCS 45/3-202.05 210 ILCS 45/3-209 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-209 210 ILCS 45/3-305 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-305 210 ILCS 45/3-305.8 new Adds reference to: 210 ILCS 45/1-101 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 210 ILCS 45/1-101 Adds reference to: New Act 305 ILCS 5/5A-2.1 new 305 ILCS 5/5A-2 from Ch. 23, par. 5A-2 305 ILCS 5/5-5.07 305 ILCS 5/14-12 305 ILCS 5/12-4.53 210 ILCS 45/3-206 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-206 225 ILCS 65/55-35 225 ILCS 65/60-40 225 ILCS 70/11 from Ch. 111, par. 3661 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Reenacts provisions regarding assessments on inpatient and outpatient services imposed on hospitals. Provides for the continuity of effect of the reenacted provisions between July 1, 2020 and the effective date of the amendatory Act. Validates actions taken in reliance on or pursuant to the reenacted provisions. In a Section concerning the Department of Children and Family Services' per diem rate for an inpatient psychiatric stay beyond medical necessity, provides that the Section is inoperative on and after July 1, 2021 (instead of July 1, 2020). Provides that notwithstanding the provision of Public Act 101-209 stating that the Section is inoperative on and after July 1, 2020, the Section is operative from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. Provides that beginning July 1, 2012 and ending on December 31, 2022, a hospital that would have qualified for the rate year beginning October 1, 2012 shall be a Safety-Net Hospital. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a health care transformation program which shall be supported by the transformation funding pool. Provides that it is the intention of the General Assembly that innovative partnerships funded by the pool must be designed to establish or improve integrated health care delivery systems that will provide significant access to the Medicaid and uninsured populations in their communities, as well as improve health care equity. Provides that during State fiscal years 2021 through 2027, the hospital and health care transformation program shall be supported by an annual transformation funding pool of up to $150,000,000, pending federal matching funds, to be allocated during the specified fiscal years for the purpose of facilitating hospital and health care transformation. Provides that funding agreements made in accordance with the transformation program shall be considered purchases of care under the Illinois Procurement Code and funds shall be expended by the Department in a manner that maximizes federal funding to expend the entire allocated amount. Contains provisions concerning the criteria for transformation proposals; entities eligible for funding under the transformation program; the process for submitting transformation projects; the Department's process for evaluating and approving transformation proposals; and other matters. In a provision concerning Prospective Payment System rates for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), provides that one method to increase such rates is to use an alternative payment method acceptable to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the FQHCs, including an across the board percentage increase to existing rates. Creates the COVID-19 Medically Necessary Diagnostic Testing Act. Provides that a health plan shall not impose utilization management requirements on COVID-19 diagnostic tests for nursing home employees. Provides that medically necessary COVID-19 testing is urgent care, and health plans shall not extend the applicable wait time for a COVID-19 testing appointment, even if such an extension would otherwise be permitted. Requires a health plan to reimburse the testing provider for medically necessary COVID-19 testing at the contracted rate if the health plan has a contract with the testing provider. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to accept on-the-job experience in lieu of clinical training from any individual who participated in the temporary nursing assistant program during the COVID-19 pandemic before the end date of the temporary nursing assistant program and left the program in good standing. Requires the Department of Public Health to notify all approved certified nurse assistant training programs in the State of this requirement. Defines "temporary nursing assistant program". Provides that an individual employed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a nursing assistant in accordance with any Executive Orders, emergency rules, or policy memoranda related to COVID-19 shall be assumed to meet competency standards and may continue to be employed as a certified nurse assistant when the pandemic ends and the Executive Orders or emergency rules lapse. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that whenever a public health emergency has resulted in pre-admission screenings to be waived in lieu of screenings post admission to a nursing home and the case coordination unit, upon being timely notified of the need to complete the post-admission screen, fails to complete the screen within the allotted time, the nursing facility shall not be penalized and shall be reimbursed for care from the date of admission. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, every public high school may include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on media literacy; defines "media literacy". Provides requirements for the unit of instruction. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to school boards instructional materials that may be used as guidelines for the unit of instruction. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/27-20.08 new Adds reference to: 115 ILCS 5/4.10 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that, with respect to the Chicago school district only, collective bargaining between an educational employer and an exclusive representative of its employees may include decisions to determine the length of the work and school day and the length of the work and school year. Provides that the Act takes effect upon becoming law, but does not take effect at all unless House Bill 2275 of the 101st General Assembly, in the form in which it passed the House on March 28, 2019, becomes law.
Amends the Foreign Banking Office Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 205 ILCS 645/1 Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/355 from Ch. 73, par. 967 215 ILCS 125/4-12 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1409.5 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code and the Health Maintenance Organization Act. Provides that all individual and small group accident and health policies written in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act must file rates for approval. Provides that rate increases not found to be reasonable in relation to benefits under the policy provided will be disapproved. Requires the Department of Insurance to provide a report to the General Assembly after January 1, 2021, regarding both on and off exchange individual and small group rates in the Illinois market. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 205 ILCS 645/1 Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/355 from Ch. 73, par. 967 215 ILCS 125/4-12 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1409.5 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code and the Health Maintenance Organization Act. Provides that all individual and small group accident and health policies written in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act must file rates with the Department of Insurance for approval. Provides that rate increases found to be unreasonable rate increases in relation to benefits under the policy provided shall be disapproved. Requires the Department to provide a report to the General Assembly after January 1, 2021, regarding both on and off exchange individual and small group rates in the Illinois market. Requires that the Department approve or deny rate increases within 60 calendar days after the rate increase is filed with the Department. Provides that a rate increase that is not approved or denied by the Department on the 61st calendar day shall be automatically approved on that day. Provides that no less than 30 days after the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has certified the plans described in this Section for the upcoming plan year, the Department shall publish on its website a report explaining the rates for the subsequent calendar year's certified policies. Defines "unreasonable rate increase". Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 5/355 from Ch. 73, par. 967 215 ILCS 125/4-12 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1409.5 Adds reference to: 805 ILCS 5/7.05 from Ch. 32, par. 7.05 805 ILCS 5/7.15 from Ch. 32, par. 7.15 805 ILCS 5/7.30 from Ch. 32, par. 7.30 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Provides that if the board of directors is authorized to determine the place of a meeting of shareholders, the board of directors may determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication. Provides that a corporation may allow shareholders to participate in and act at any meeting of the shareholders through the use of remote connection; however, the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide the shareholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the shareholders. Provides that the corporation may implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and entitled to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a shareholder. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately.