Sen. Graciela Guzmán

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Repeals provisions that require: (i) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to consult with stakeholders and General Assembly members for input on a plan to develop enhanced Medicaid rates for substance use disorder treatment and mental health treatment in underserved communities; and (ii) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Human Services to collaborate to review coverage and billing requirements for substance use prevention and recovery and mental health services with the goal of identifying disparities and streamlining coverage and billing requirements to reduce the administrative burden for providers and medical assistance beneficiaries. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Makes technical changes in a provision that states if the minor is in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, pursuant to an order entered under the Delinquent Minors Article of the Act, the court shall conduct permanency hearings as set out in the court review provisions of the Abused, Neglected, or Dependent Minors Article of the Act.

Amends the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, the Conveyances Act, the Joint Tenancy Act, and the Rights of Married Persons Act. Inserts gender neutral descriptions showing marital status.

Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Makes changes to administrative fees paid to the Department of Labor. Makes changes in provisions concerning the collection of unpaid wages, penalties, damages, fines, and fees. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall provide 30 minutes of paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her nursing infant child each time the employee has the need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Provides that the employee may use other paid break time or meal time for any time needed in excess of 30 minutes. Provides that an employer shall provide paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) as needed by the employee unless to do so would create an undue hardship.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Removes the Collection Agency Act from the list of Acts being repealed under the Act. Amends the Collection Agency Act. Makes changes concerning defined terms; exempt persons and entities under the Act; unlicensed practice; disciplinary actions; communication; informal conferences; penalties; investigations; the record of hearing; oaths; findings and recommendations; hearings; orders; and returned payments. Provides that the fee rate a collection agency can charge may be modified by rule to not less than 25% of the amount of child support actually collected by the collection agency but not greater than 35%. Repeals provisions concerning the Collection Agency Licensing and Disciplinary Board and provisions concerning when a person acts as a collection agency. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act. Removes a provision that requires the application of a homeless individual for an Illinois Identification Card to be accompanied by an affirmation by a qualified person, on a form provided by the Secretary of State, that the applicant is currently homeless.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to make reasonable efforts to develop a youth-driven transition plan for each youth in care aged 18 and over for whom the court has set a permanency goal of independence or home environment not appropriate. Requires the plan to address, at a minimum, the youth's housing, mental and physical health and well-being, financial stability, employment, education, connections to supportive adults and peers, transition to adult services, if applicable, and child care and parenting supports, if applicable. Requires the Department to make reasonable efforts to assist the youth in accomplishing the plan and to ensure the youth is aware of any post-case closure supports and services and how to access such supports and services. Requires the Department to assist a youth in care in obtaining a list of persons, with contact information, who are willing to provide the youth with support. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Require the court to conduct Successful Transition to Adulthood Review hearings for minors who are 18 years old and older for whom the court has entered a goal of independence or home environment not appropriate. Lists certain information the Department shall provide the court 14 days prior to the hearing as well as certain Department actions that are subject to the court's review. Provides that if the court finds the Department has failed to make reasonable efforts to assist the minor in developing a plan toward independence, the court may enter such orders it deems necessary to ensure the minor is prepared to achieve the goal of independence when the minor turns 21 years of age. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act. Authorizes grants to be provided under the Act for financing shoreline restoration and protection projects on behalf of counties and park districts.

Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that appropriate mobile response services must, among other things, subject to the care decisions of the individual receiving care, coordinate transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency to the least restrictive setting feasible (rather than provide transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency). Provides that adequate mobile mental health relief provider training includes, among other things, training in recognizing and working with people with neurodivergent and developmental disability diagnoses and in the techniques available to help stabilize and connect them to further services and training in the involuntary commitment process, in identification of situations that meet the standards for involuntary commitment, and in cultural competencies and social biases to guard against any group being disproportionately subjected to the involuntary commitment process or the use of the process not warranted under the legal standard for involuntary commitment. Provides that mobile mental health relief providers may only participate in the involuntary commitment process to the extent permitted under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Requires the system for gathering information developed by the Statewide Advisory Committee to determine the number of instances of mobile mental health relief providers initiating petitions for involuntary commitment. Provides that the exemption from civil liability for emergency care provided in the Good Samaritan Act applies to anyone providing care under the Act. Provides that each 9-1-1 public safety answering point and emergency service dispatched through a 9-1-1 public safety answering point must begin coordinating its activities with the mobile mental and behavioral health services established by the Division of Mental Health once all 3 of the following conditions are met, but not later than July 1, 2027 (rather than July 1, 2025). Adds definitions and modifies existing definitions. Effective immediately.