Sen. Mike Porfirio

Creates the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act. Provides that, by November 1, 2024, and by November 1 every 3 years thereafter, all electric cooperatives with members in the State, municipal power agencies, and municipalities shall file with the Illinois Power Agency an integrated resource plan. Sets forth provisions concerning the plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Authorizes the Illinois Power Agency to develop capacity procurement plans and conduct competitive procurement processes for the procurement of capacity needed to ensure environmentally sustainable long-term resource adequacy across the State at the lowest cost over time. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Changes the cumulative persisting annual savings goals for electric utilities that serve less than 3,000,000 retail customers but more than 500,000 retail customers for the years of 2024 through 2030. Provides that the cumulative persisting annual savings goals beyond the year 2030 shall increase by 0.9 (rather than 0.6) percentage points per year. Changes the requirements for submitting proposed plans and funding levels to meet savings goals for an electric utility serving more than 500,000 retail customers (rather than serving less than 3,000,000 retail customers but more than 500,000 retail customers). Provides that an electric utility that has a tariff approved within one year of the amendatory Act shall also offer at least one market-based, time-of-use rate for eligible retail customers that choose to take power and energy supply service from the utility. Sets forth provisions regarding the Illinois Commerce Commission's powers and duties related to residential time-of-use pricing. Provides that each capacity procurement event may include the procurement of capacity through a mix of contracts with different terms and different initial delivery dates. Sets forth the requirements of prepared capacity procurement plans. Requires each alternative retail electric supplier to make payment to an applicable electric utility for capacity, receive transfers of capacity credits, report capacity credits procured on its behalf to the applicable regional transmission organization, and submit the capacity credits to the applicable regional transmission organization under that regional transmission organization's rules and procedures. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Retitles the Act and adds provisions regarding the newly renamed Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS). Adds responsibilities for IEMA-OHS with respect to nuclear and radiation safety. Provides for the appointment of a cabinet-level Homeland Security Advisor and a Deputy Homeland Security Advisor. Provides for the creation of an Illinois Homeland Security Advisory Council, and assigns the Council duties. Provides for the creation of the position of Statewide Interoperability Coordinator and assigns it duties. Adds and amends definitions.

Creates the Nonopioid Alternatives for Pain Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to develop and publish an educational pamphlet regarding the use of nonopioid alternatives for pain treatment. Provides that a health care practitioner shall exercise professional judgment in selecting appropriate treatment modalities for pain in accordance with specified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including the use of nonopioid alternatives whenever nonopioid alternatives exist. Requires a health care practitioner who prescribes an opioid drug to provide certain information to the patient, discuss certain topics, and document the reasons for the prescription. Requires the Department to develop a nonopioid directive form for patients. Sets forth provisions concerning exceptions, execution of a nonopioid directive, opioid administration to a patient with a nonopioid directive, and limitations of liability. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that when a licensed health care practitioner prescribes a nonopioid medication for the treatment of acute pain, it shall be unlawful for a health insurance issuer to deny coverage of the nonopioid prescription drug in favor of an opioid prescription drug or to require the patient to try an opioid prescription drug before providing coverage. Provides that in establishing and maintaining its drug formulary, a health insurance issuer shall ensure that no nonopioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment or management of pain shall be disadvantaged or discouraged, with respect to coverage or cost sharing, relative to any opioid or narcotic drug for the treatment or management of pain. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that whenever a licensed health care practitioner prescribes a nonopioid medication for the treatment of acute pain, neither the Department of Healthcare and Family Services nor a managed care organization shall deny coverage of the nonopioid prescription drug in favor of an opioid prescription drug or require a patient to try an opioid prescription drug prior to providing coverage of the nonopioid prescription drug. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Specifies that the notice in contested case hearings must include an enclosure that notifies the recipient of the ability to request interpretive assistance for the hearing and to receive language assistance in translating the contents of the notice. Provides that an administrative law judge has the duty to inquire and determine whether a self-represented litigant or witness in a hearing needs interpretive assistance to participate in or understand the hearing. Authorizes any self-represented litigant, witness, or indigent person to request, at any time during the course of a hearing, interpretive assistance needed to participate in or understand the hearing. Provides that, if interpretive assistance is requested by a self-represented litigant, a witness, or an indigent person or if interpretive assistance is determined to be necessary by the administrative law judge, the administrative agency must appoint a foreign language interpreter at no cost to the person in need of the assistance for use in a substantive hearing. Authorizes an administrative agency to provide interpretive assistance during a nonsubstantive hearing through use of an interpreter who is not a foreign language interpreter, provided the administrative law judge examines the interpreter for competency for the purposes of the nonsubstantive hearing. Requires all persons appointed to provide interpretive assistance in substantive and nonsubstantive hearings to make certain affirmations. Contains provisions concerning waiver of these language assistance provisions.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Strengthening Mental Health and Substance Use Parity Act. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, or any third-party administrator administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer, shall cover all out-of-network medically necessary mental health and substance use benefits and services (inpatient and outpatient) as if they were in-network for purposes of cost sharing for the insured. Provides that the insured has the right to select the provider or facility of their choice and the modality, whether the care is provided via in-person visit or telehealth, for medically necessary care. Sets forth minimum reimbursement rates for certain behavioral health benefits. Sets forth provisions concerning responsibility for compliance with parity requirements; coverage and payment for multiple covered mental health and substance use services, mental health or substance use services provided under the supervision of a licensed mental health or substance treatment provider, and 60-minute individual psychotherapy; timely credentialing of mental health and substance use providers; Department of Insurance enforcement and rulemaking; civil penalties; and other matters. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Creates the Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act. Defines terms. Provides that no person, including a pharmaceutical manufacturer, may deny, restrict, prohibit, condition, or otherwise interfere with, either directly or indirectly, the acquisition of a 340B drug by, or delivery of a 340B drug to, a 340B covered entity or a 340B contract pharmacy authorized to receive 340B drugs on behalf of the 340B covered entity unless such receipt is prohibited by federal law. Provides that no person, including a pharmaceutical manufacturer, may impose any restriction on the ability of a 340B covered entity to contract with or designate a 340B contract pharmacy including restrictions relating to the number, location, ownership, or type of 340B contract pharmacy. Provides that no person, including a pharmaceutical manufacturer, may require or compel a 340B covered entity or 340B contract pharmacy to submit or otherwise provide ingredient cost or pricing data pertinent to 340B drugs; institute requirements in any way relating to how a 340B covered entity manages its inventory of 340B drugs that are not required by a State or federal agency, including requirements relating to the frequency or scope of audits of inventory management systems of a 340B covered entity or a 340B contract pharmacy; or require a 340B covered entity or its 340B contract pharmacy to submit or otherwise provide data or information that is not required by State or federal law. Sets forth provisions concerning enforcement of this Act; preemption of this Act; and severability of this Act. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to allow the Department of Children and Family Services to use a "differential response program" for handling child abuse and neglect reports. Under this new system, the department can choose between conducting a full investigation or a less intrusive "family assessment" for reports that do not involve substantial child endangerment. A family assessment focuses on evaluating family strengths and needs to determine if services are required, rather than fact-gathering to prove abuse occurred. If a report initially assigned for investigation is later deemed to require only a family assessment, the department must document the reason for this change and notify law enforcement if they are jointly involved. Additionally, the bill requires an independent evaluation of the program for its first three years to ensure it meets its goals.

Congratulates Kennedy Blades on achieving the silver medal in the women's wrestling freestyle 76-kilogram event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Commends her for serving as an exemplary representative of the State of Illinois and the United States. Wishes her continued success in her athletic endeavors.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution congratulates Morton College on its 100th anniversary since it opened in 1924. The bill serves as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for the institution's history and its role in educating over 250,000 students across various locations in Illinois. It does not change any laws or policies but instead directs that a copy of the resolution be presented to the college president as a formal acknowledgment of the milestone.

Congratulates Laddie Hutar on the 100th anniversary of his birth and commends him for his service to the nation and to the Morton College community.