Sen. Laura Murphy

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions regarding the types of licenses, provides that applicants for a Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate degree (instead of a bachelor's degree) or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or must be enrolled in an approved educator preparation program in this State and have earned at least 90 credit hours. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the University of Illinois Hospital Act and Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital shall maintain a metal detector at each point of entry into the hospital. Provides that a hospital shall ensure that all members of the public, other than the employees of the hospital who display proper credentials, who enter the hospital at a point of entry are subjected to screening by a metal detector. Provides that individuals subject to screening shall include, but not be limited to, individuals in wheelchairs. Defines "point of entry". Effective July 1, 2023.

Creates the Vacancy Fraud Act. Provides that, on or after January 1, 2024, any owner of real property located in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants may file a written vacancy fraud complaint alleging that: (i) certain real property in that county has received a decrease in assessed value, a decrease in market value, or an abatement of taxes because the property is vacant; and (ii) the owner of that vacant property is not actively attempting to sell or lease the property or actively attempting to alter or modify the property to prepare it for sale or lease. Sets forth factors for determining vacancy fraud. Provides that the owner of the vacant property may be subject to specified penalties. Effective immediately.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Requires the governing board of each public university to implement the Illinois College Promise program to provide grant assistance to those students who satisfy the eligibility requirements of the program. Provides that to be eligible for grant assistance, a student must: (i) be a resident of Illinois, and his or her parents must be residents of Illinois, (ii) have attended and graduated from an Illinois high school, (iii) be under 24 years of age and admitted as a new freshman or new transfer student, (iv) have an expected family contribution as determined through FAFSA that equals $0, (v) have total family assets that are less than $50,000, and (vi) be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours during the fall or spring semester. Provides that grant assistance is available for up to 4 years of attendance. Requires the grant recipient to maintain Illinois residency and satisfactory academic progress, and to work at least 10 to 12 hours a week as part of the promise program.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the county clerk shall abate 10% of the taxes imposed on qualified forest property that is part of a proposed new housing development. Provides that the owner of the property shall obtain approval from the Department of Natural Resources and shall submit a conservation plan and a new housing development plan to the Department of Natural Resources. Provides that "qualified forest property" means land of at least one acre that: (i) is at least 10% stocked by forest trees of any size; (ii) includes forest strips that are at least 120 feet wide; (iii) is managed in accordance with a conservation plan approved by the Department of Natural Resources; and (iv) is not developed for non-forest use as of January 1 of the first taxable year of the abatement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that registered professional nursing practice is a scientific process founded on a professional body of knowledge. It is a learned profession based on the understanding of the human condition across the life span and environment, includes all nursing specialties, and means the performance of any nursing act based upon professional knowledge, judgment, and skills acquired by means of completion of an approved professional nursing education program. Provides that registered professional nurses may delegate nursing interventions and tasks (rather than nursing interventions) to other registered professional nurses and licensed practical nurses based on a comprehensive nursing assessment. Provides that registered professional nurses may delegate tasks to unlicensed personnel based on a comprehensive nursing assessment. Provides that a registered professional nurse is prohibited from delegating work requiring nursing knowledge, assessment, judgment, inference, decision making (including medication administration), the development of a plan of care, and the evaluation of a plan of care to unlicensed non-nurse personnel. Removes provisions concerning delegation of nursing interventions and administration of medications in community-based or in-home care settings. Makes other changes. Effective August 1, 2023.

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Provides that beginning on the first day an owners licensee (rather than just an owners license authorizing the conduct of riverboat gambling in one of the specified townships of Cook County) conducts gambling operations, either in a temporary facility or a permanent facility, and ending on July 31, 2042, from the tax revenue deposited in the State Gaming Fund, $5,000,000 shall be paid annually, subject to appropriation, to the host municipality of that owners licensee of a license issued or re-issued pursuant to provisions concerning re-issuance of revoked or non-renewed owners licenses before January 1, 2012. Effective immediately.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that an accidental injury that results from repetitive or cumulative trauma and occurs within 6 months after the employee begins employment shall not be considered by a workers' compensation insurer in setting rates. Provides for contribution by prior employers with respect to awards for repetitive or cumulative injuries. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize emergency rulemaking.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Makes changes to a provision concerning the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) database. Adds individuals in State-operated developmental centers and individuals in community-integrated living arrangements to the list of persons the Department of Human Services must register in the PUNS database. Requires the Secretary of Human Services to seek input from advisory bodies to the Department, including advisory councils and committees working with the Department in the areas of intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders, with regard to the establishment, maintenance, and administration of PUNS. Provides that the Department shall also ensure that individuals in PUNS are contacted regarding their PUNS status and available services at least 2 times each year via email or letter, based on the delivery preference of the individual. Provides that the available services and supports may include housing, home-based services, employment and training, respite care, and day programs. Requires the Department to seek any available federal funding to upgrade its technology in order to implement an effective and efficient system of operating and maintaining PUNS and making the web-based verification and information-update application developed by the Department available to individuals listed in PUNS. Requires the Department to collaborate with the State Board of Education to ensure that students with disabilities and their parents are informed of PUNS consistent with a specified provision of the School Code.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that before pursuing a collection action against an insured patient for the unpaid amount of services rendered, a health care provider must review a patient's file to ensure that the patient does not have a Medicare supplement policy or any other secondary payer health insurance plan. Provides that if, after reviewing a patient's file, the health care provider finds no supplemental policy in the patient's record, the provider must then provide notice to the patient and give that patient an opportunity to address the issue. Provides that if a health care provider has neither found information indicating the existence of a supplemental policy nor received payment for services rendered to the patient, the health care provider may proceed with a collection action against the patient in accordance with specified provisions. Defines "supplemental policy". Makes a conforming change.