Sen. Celina Villanueva

Creates the Consumer Choice in Maternal Care for African-American Mothers Pilot Program Act. Requires the Task Force on Infant and Maternal Mortality Among African Americans to partner with community-based maternal care providers to develop rules and regulations for a Medicaid voucher pilot program to expand consumer choice for Black mothers that includes planned home birth services and in-home perinatal and postpartum care services provided by racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to implement the pilot program no later than January 1, 2023. Provides that the pilot program shall operate for a 5-year period. Requires the Task Force to submit annual reports to the General Assembly, beginning January 1, 2024, and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2028, that provides a status update on the pilot program and annual impact measure reporting. Provides that the pilot program shall implement a maternity episode payment model that provides a single payment for all services across the prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal period which covers the 9 months of pregnancy plus 12 weeks of postpartum. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to make available to the Task Force all relevant data related to maternal care expenditures made under the State's Medical Assistance Program so that budget-neutral reimbursement rates can be established for bundled maternal care services spanning the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum phases of a maternity episode. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that the Medicaid voucher pilot program includes home birth services and in-home perinatal and postpartum care services provided by racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives who are licensed and registered in Illinois (rather than racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives).

Amends the Statute on Statutes. Makes a technical change in a Section regarding the application of the Act.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, for license renewals occurring on or after January 1, 2023, Emergency Medical Services personnel must complete at least one one-hour course of training on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias per license renewal period. Contains training requirements. Provides that completion of the course may count toward meeting minimum credit hours required for relicensure requirements. Provides that specified training may count toward the continuing education required under the amendatory provisions. Provides that the Department of Public Health may adopt rules for the implementation of the amendatory provisions. Effective immediately.

Declares March 15, 2022 as Equal Pay Day.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that rates for homemaker services shall be increased to $26.52 beginning July 1, 2022 to sustain a minimum wage of $16 per hour for direct service workers. Provides that rates in subsequent State fiscal years shall be no lower than the rates in effect on July 1, 2022. Provides that providers of in-home services shall be required to certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, paid time off and payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation, shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases described in the amendatory Act. Effective July 1, 2022.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Replaces provisions relating to the Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program with provisions that require the Illinois Commerce Commission to establish a Universal Broadband Service Assistance Program. Provides that the Program shall provide for a reduction of monthly charges, a reduction of installation charges, devices used in connection to the Internet, or any other alternative assistance or program to increase accessibility to broadband service and broadband Internet access service that the Commission deems advisable subject to the availability of funds for the program. Makes other conforming changes. Creates a similar program for low-income residential customers of cable and video service providers. Extends the repeal of the Telecommunications and Cable and Video Competition Articles from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 220 ILCS 5/13-1200 220 ILCS 5/21-1601 Removes provisions that extend the repeal of the Telecommunications and Cable and Video Competition Articles of the Public Utilities Act from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Rebuild Illinois Mental Health Workforce Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to preserve and expand access to Medicaid community mental health care in Illinois to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and avoid the criminalization of mental health conditions. Establishes add-on payments for the following community mental health services to be paid beginning with State Fiscal Year 2023 and continuing for each State fiscal year thereafter: individual therapy services; community support-individual services; case management services; and assertive community treatment services. Requires monthly directed payments to community mental health providers of community support team services or assertive community treatment services. Provides that such directed payments shall be based on the number of Medicaid users, as defined, who receive services from the provider in the base year. Provides that the add-on payments established under the Act shall apply to Medicaid services provided by a contracted managed care organization or entity and services paid for directly by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Provides that no base Medicaid rate or Medicaid rate add-on payment or any other payment for the provision of Medicaid community mental health services in place on July 1, 2021 shall be diminished or changed to make the reimbursement changes required under the Act. Requires the Department to apply for federal approval to implement the Act. Provides that implementation of the add-on payments is conditioned on the receipt of federal financial participation for such payments. Effective immediately.

Creates the Equity through Financial Literacy Task Force Act. Creates the Equity through Financial Literacy Task Force. Provides for membership of the Task Force. Provides that no less than one-third of the members of the Task Force shall reside in areas outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation, except that the young adult and college student appointees of the Task Force shall receive a stipend for serving as members. Provides for meetings of the Task Force. Provides that the Office of the Governor shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Provides for duties of the Task Force. Requires the Task Force to submit a report of recommendations to the General Assembly and Governor on or before December 31, 2021. Provides for the content of the report. Provides purpose and legislative intent provisions. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2023. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Financial Literacy Task Force Act (rather than the Equity through Financial Literacy Task Force Act). Creates the Financial Literacy Task Force to study and identify best practices for increasing the financial capacity of young adults in Illinois and develop recommendations for increasing the availability, uptake, and positive outcomes of financial education in this State's postsecondary academic institutions. Provides for membership of the Task Force. Provides that members appointed to the Commission must reflect the racial, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of this State. Provides for administrative support for the Task Force. Provides meeting requirements. Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation. Provides that on or before December 31, 2022, the Task Force shall submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly regarding financial literacy education in postsecondary academic institutions. Provides for contents of the report. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2024. Effective immediately.

Makes specified appropriations to the Legislative Information System, Legislative Printing Unit, Legislative Audit Commission, Legislative Reference Bureau, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Architect of the Capitol, Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, and Legislative Ethics Commission, and Legislative Inspector General for their ordinary and contingent expenses in the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2022. Effective July 1, 2022.