Sen. Elgie Sims

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Deletes language regarding the amount a court shall award to a person for time unjustly served in prison when the person imprisoned received a pardon on the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was imprisoned or he or she received a certificate of innocence. Provides instead that the court shall award $50,000 per year during which the person was wrongfully imprisoned and shall prorate that amount for a fraction of a year that the person was wrongfully imprisoned, including the number of years the person was awaiting trial.

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 program, and the implementation of prior authorization requirements or restrictions. Provides requirements concerning a utilization review program's obligations with respect to prior authorizations in nonurgent circumstances, urgent health care services, and emergency health care services. Provides that a utilization review program 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 program 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 Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to provide that an insurer that provides prescription drug benefits must comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that if prior authorization for covered post-stabilization services is required by a health care plan, the plan shall comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform 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, 2021.

Recognizes the students, teachers, leaders, and staff of Wagoner Elementary School and declares February 24, 2020 as "Teach Kindness Day".

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning in State fiscal year 2020, the specified income threshold shall be no less than 200% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Effective July 1, 2019.

Amends the State Employee Indemnification Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Act's short title.

Amends the School Code. With respect to school discipline improvement plans, makes changes to how the State Board of Education determines the top 20% of school districts, when notification is given that a plan must be submitted, which school districts are required to submit a plan, the timeframe for school board approval of a plan and submission of that plan to the State Board, and when additional annual progress reports are required. Establishes the Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments Grant Program and grants under the program. Sets forth requirements for grant applicants and provisions for the distribution of funds appropriated for the program. Requires the State Board of Education to issue a yearly report on the results of the program in cooperation with school districts participating in the program. Provides that the State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the program. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.176 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. With regard to the student discipline report, provides that the report must include data on the total number of school days missed by a student due to an out-of-school suspension or expulsion and data on the number of arrests made by law enforcement officers of students on school grounds, in school vehicles, at school activities or school-sanctioned events, or as a result of referrals by school officials. Provides that the report must be disaggregated by whether a student qualifies for services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the total number of school days missed by the student, and the incident type that caused the suspension, expulsion, or removal to an alternative setting. Provides that, in compiling the report, the State Board of Education must use the same disclosure avoidance standards used by the United States Department of Education in its public reporting of data submitted by each school district as part of the Civil Rights Data Collection and must also ensure that cross-tabulation by the various categories of disaggregation is possible. Makes other changes.

Amends the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of teachers, a school board shall pay those who serve on a full-time basis a rate not less than (i) $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, (ii) $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, (iii) $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and (iv) $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the minimum salary rate for each school year thereafter, subject to review by the General Assembly, shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that, on or before January 31, 2020, the Professional Review Panel must submit a report to the General Assembly on how State funds and funds distributed under the evidence-based funding formula may aid the financial effects of the changes made by the amendatory Act. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-8 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/27A-10 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code to allow a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations to be issued to an applicant who, among other qualifications, has passed a paraprofessional competency test (instead of allowing the endorsement to be issued only if the applicant holds an associate's degree or a minimum number of higher education credits). Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement the test. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the Code to require charter school employees in instructional positions to have passed a content area knowledge test. Makes changes concerning obsolete language. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes a technical change in a Section regarding special license plates.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that on and after July 1, 2022, a detention screening instrument shall be used for referrals to all authorized juvenile detention facilities in this State prior to a judicial hearing. Provides a minor alleged to be a delinquent minor taken into temporary custody must be brought before a judicial officer within 48 hours (rather than 40 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and court designated holidays). Provides that if an appearance is required of any minor taken and held in a place of custody or confinement operated by the State or any of its political subdivisions, including counties and municipalities, the chief judge of the circuit may permit by rule for the minor's personal appearance to be made by means of two-way audio-visual communication, including closed circuit television and computerized video conference, in the following proceedings: (1) the initial appearance before a judge; (2) a detention or shelter care hearing; or (3) any status hearing. Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Provides that the Division of Probation Services of the Supreme Court shall adopt a statewide juvenile detention screening instrument that has been verified through evidence-based and data-based practices that is to be used by all authorized juvenile detention facilities. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. In provisions allowing a non-home rule county to adopt an ordinance with reasonable regulations concerning the operation of specified adult entertainment facilities or businesses in unincorporated areas of the county, removes a restriction limiting the provisions to non-home rule counties with a population of at least 900,000. Makes a grammatical change. Effective January 1, 2021.