Sen. Napoleon Harris

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that no later than December 31, 2022, and no later than December 31 of each year thereafter, the Department of Children and Family Services shall prepare and submit an annual report, covering the previous fiscal year, to the General Assembly regarding racial disparities for children and families involved in the child welfare system. Provides that the report shall be conducted by a research institution at a public university and must include, at a minimum, the following de-aggregated data by race as compared, where appropriate, to population-level data: (1) education success, health and behavioral health, housing, jobs or economic justice, criminal justice, and other key metrics that serve as indicators of child and family well-being and can measure socioeconomic conditions in communities; and (2) children and families involved in a safety plan, the number of protective custodies, the number of investigations of each type of abuse and neglect allegation described in a specified provision of the Illinois Administrative Code and the findings of such investigations, the number of Department recommended court filings for each allegation type, the number of intakes into the foster care system, placement settings, lengths of stay, and permanency outcomes.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a contract for life insurance covering a natural person 64 years of age or older that has been in force for at least one year may not be lapsed for nonpayment of premium unless the insurer has mailed a notification of the impending lapse in coverage to the policyowner and to a specified secondary addressee if such addressee has been designated in writing by name and address by the policyowner. Provides that an insurer issuing a life insurance contract on or after January 1, 2022 shall notify the applicant of the right to designate a secondary addressee at the time of application for the policy, on a form provided by the insurer and at any time the policy is in force, by submitting a written notice to the insurer containing the name and address of the secondary addressee. Provides that the notice of impending lapse in coverage must be mailed to the policyowner and the secondary addressee at least 21 days before the expiration of the grace period provided in the policy in specified circumstances. Provides that the secondary notice requirement does not apply to any life insurance contract under which premiums are payable monthly or more frequently and are regularly collected by a licensed agent or are paid by credit card or any preauthorized check processing or automatic debit service of a financial institution. Provides that if the policyowner has a life agent of record or any agent of record, the insurer must also notify the agent of the impending lapse in coverage at least 21 days before the effective date of the lapse. Provides that an insurer is not required to notify the agent in specified circumstances. Effective January 1, 2022. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 5/143.17b new Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/235.1 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a life company issuing an individual life insurance contract on or after January 1, 2022 shall notify an applicant, in writing on a form prescribed by the company at the time of application for the policy, of the applicant's right to designate a secondary addressee to receive notice of cancellation of the policy based on nonpayment of premium. Provides that the applicant may make the secondary addressee designation at the time of application for such policy or at any time such policy is in force by submitting a written notice to the insurer containing the name and address of the secondary addressee. Provides that an insurer's transmission to a secondary addressee of a copy of a notice of cancellation based on nonpayment of premium shall be in addition to the transmission of the original document to the policyholder, and that the copy of the notice of cancellation transmitted to the secondary addressee shall be made in the same manner and form required for the transmission of the notice to the policyholder. Provides that the designation of a secondary addressee shall not constitute acceptance of any liability on the part of the secondary addressee or insurer for services provided to the policyholder. Provides that the secondary notice requirement does not apply to any individual life insurance contract under which premiums are payable monthly or more frequently and are regularly collected by a licensed agent or are paid by credit card or any preauthorized check processing or automatic debit service of a financial institution. Provides that nothing in the language shall prohibit an applicant or policyholder from designating a life insurance agent of record as his or her secondary addressee. Effective January 1, 2022.

Amends the Article of the School Code relating to children with disabilities. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may determine that the location of the parent or guardian of a student is unknown after considering information submitted from the school district that last enrolled the student or from the school or special education facility providing special education and related services to meet the needs of the student. Provides that the information submitted to the State Superintendent must include an affidavit from that school district's superintendent or the facility's director attesting that the location of the parent or guardian is unknown and 4 items of documentary evidence that a minimum of 4 separate attempts were made to locate the parent or guardian. Provides that any determination by the State Superintendent that the location of a parent or guardian is unknown is final, but that any determination made by the State Superintendent is subject to review and reconsideration any time a parent's or guardian's location becomes known. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall make information about the availability of referral services to any other State or local agencies known to a parolee or releasee prior to his or her release from the correctional facility where the parolee or releasee has been residing. Effective immediately.

Creates the Car-Sharing Program Act. Adds provisions governing: insurance coverage requirements during car-sharing periods; notification of implications of lien; exclusions in motor vehicle liability insurance policies; recordkeeping requirements; vicarious liability; contribution against indemnification; insurable interests; consumer protection disclosures; driver's license verification; data retention; responsibility for equipment; and automobile safety recalls. Effective January 1, 2022. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that, under specified circumstances, a motor vehicle insurer that defends or indemnifies a claim against a shared vehicle that is excluded under the terms of its policy shall have the right to seek recovery (instead of contribution) against the motor vehicle insurer of the car-sharing program. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the contents of the introduced bill and House Amendment No. 1, and makes the following changes: Provides that a car-sharing program shall assume liability of a shared-vehicle owner for bodily injury or property damage to third parties or uninsured and underinsured motorist or personal injury protection losses during the car-sharing period in an amount stated in the car-sharing agreement, which amount may not be less than 4 times the minimum amounts required under the Illinois Vehicle Code (instead of those amounts set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code). Provides that a car-sharing program shall ensure that, during each car-sharing period, the shared-vehicle owner and the shared-vehicle driver are insured under a motor vehicle liability insurance policy that provides insurance coverage in amounts that, for the shared-vehicle driver, are equal to 2 times the minimum amounts set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code (instead of in amounts no less than the minimum amounts set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code). Deletes a Section concerning the inapplicability of other Acts. Makes other changes in a Section concerning insurable interest.

Amends the Local Mass Transit District Act. Provides that, on January 1, 2022, the Chicago South Suburban Mass Transit District is discontinued. Includes procedures for discontinuance, including transfer of: all funds remaining after winding up the District to specified municipalities that created the District; and parking lots and related facilities and equipment to the municipality in which the parking lot is located. Effective January 1, 2022.

Creates the Advisory Commission on Reducing the Disproportionate Representation of African-American Children in Foster Care Act. Creates the Advisory Commission on Reducing the Disproportionate Representation of African-American Children in Foster Care. Provides that the Commission shall be a coordinating and advocating body that acts on behalf of the interests of African-American children who are at risk of placement within the State's child welfare system. Requires the Commission to advise the Governor and the General Assembly, as well as work directly with State agencies, to identify factors contributing to the overrepresentation of African-American children in foster care; to collaborate with State agencies and other social services organizations to develop effective strategies, policies, services, and programs that are aimed at providing African-American children and their families with the resources and preventive services they need to stay out of foster care and the child welfare system; and to assist in the development of child welfare policies and practices that advance more equitable outcomes for African-American children and their families who have contact with the Department of Children and Family Services. Sets forth specific duties including: examining and developing strategies and policies to address reported racial disproportionality during key stages of the child welfare decision-making process; assisting in the development of cultural competency training programs for child welfare workers; and identifying best practices to safely increase the number of family or relative placements for African-American children. Contains provisions on Commission membership; meetings; and reporting requirements. Effective immediately.

Repeals the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947. Makes conforming changes to the Illinois Municipal Code, the Housing Authorities Act, the Housing Development and Construction Act, the Urban Community Conservation Act, the Redevelopment Project Rehousing and Capital Improvements Act, the Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation Law, the Urban Community Conservation Act, the Urban Renewal Consolidation Act of 1961, and the Eminent Domain Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Railroad Supplier Diversity Act. Adds the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (doing business as Amtrak) to the list of entities that may report to the Illinois Commerce Commission under the Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides requirements concerning disclosure and review of prior authorization requirements, denial of claims or coverage by a utilization review organization, and the implementation of prior authorization requirements or restrictions. Provides requirements concerning a utilization review organization's obligations with respect to prior authorizations in nonurgent circumstances, urgent health care services, and emergency health care services. Provides that a utilization review organization shall not require prior authorization under specified circumstances. Provides requirements concerning the length of prior authorizations. Provides that health care services are automatically deemed authorized if a utilization review organization fails to comply with the requirements of the Act. Provides that the Director of Insurance may impose an administrative fine not to exceed $250,000 for violations of the Act. Defines terms. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to change the definition of "emergency medical condition". Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to provide that companies that transact accident and health insurance shall comply with specified requirements of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide that all managed care organizations shall comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Changes references from "utilization review organization" to "health insurance issuer" or "health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization". Provides that a health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization must ensure that all adverse determinations are made by a physician when the request is by a physician or a representative of a physician. Provides that a health insurance issuer shall periodically review its prior authorization requirements and consider removal of prior authorization requirements in specified circumstances (rather than a utilization review organization shall not require prior authorization in specified circumstances). In provisions concerning length of prior authorization approval, provides that a prior authorization approval shall be valid for the lesser of 12 months after the date the health care professional or health care provider receives the prior authorization approval or the length of treatment as determined by the patient's health care professional. In provisions concerning clinical review criteria of prior authorization requirements, removes language that provides that a utilization review organization shall seek input from actively practicing physicians representing major areas of the specialty who are not employees of the utilization review organization or consultants to the utilization review organization before establishing or substantially or materially altering written clinical review criteria. Removes language that provides that a utilization review organization shall not deny prior authorization of a health care service solely based on the grounds that a health care professional or health care provider judges a service, product, or procedure is medically appropriate for his or her patient even if it has not been formally approved for the specific condition being treated. In provisions concerning statistics that shall be made available regarding prior authorization approvals and denials, removes specified categories of information. In provisions concerning requirements applicable to the physician who can review consultations and appeals, removes language that provides that the physician must not be employed by a utilization review organization, be under contract with the utilization review organization other than to participate in one or more of the utilization review organization's health care professional networks or to perform reviews of appeals, or otherwise have any financial interest in the outcome of the appeal. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 134/65 Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/155.36 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: In the Prior Authorization Reform Act, deletes a Section concerning obligations with respect to prior authorization concerning emergency health care services, and makes changes in provisions governing applicability; definitions; disclosure and review of prior authorization requirements; obligations with respect to prior authorizations; personnel qualified to make adverse determinations of a prior authorization request; adverse determinations; review of appeals; denials; length of prior authorization approval; continuity of care; effect of failure to comply with the Act; and administration and enforcement. Makes further changes in the Illinois Insurance Code in a Section concerning obligations under the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Deletes changes made to the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act in a Section concerning emergency services prior to stabilization. Effective January 1, 2022.