Sen. Julie Morrison

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Makes certain changes concerning estates that contain qualified farm property. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating the State Death Tax Credit, those estates are subject to an exemption of $6,000,000 (rather than an exclusion amount of $4,000,000), which shall be deducted from the net estate value after the net estate value is computed in accordance with the Act. Provides that the exemption shall be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Makes changes concerning the calculation of the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for those estates. Provides for a special use valuation to provide that the value of the qualified farm property shall be calculated without regard to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. Makes changes concerning the definition of "qualified heir" to provide that a decedent's brother, sister, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or first cousin is also included.

Appropriates $ 10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for local health protection grants for health protection programs. Effective July 1,2024.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that a facility shall not take any retaliatory action against a resident of the facility because the resident (1) complains, discloses, or threatens to disclose to a supervisor, a public body, or any other person an activity, inaction, policy, or practice implemented by a facility that the resident reasonably believes is in violation of a law or rule, or regulation or that the resident believes to be problematic; (2) provides information to or testifies before any public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into any violation of a law, rule, or regulation by a nursing home administrator; (3) assists or participates in a proceeding to enforce the provisions of the Act; (4) seeks assistance for himself or herself or others to transition to independent living or another setting outside of their current nursing home; (5) makes a request of the facility related to the resident's care; (6) becomes a member of a resident council, resident union, or similar organization; or (7) takes any other good faith action in support of any other right or remedy provided by law. Describes remedies that may be awarded to a resident of a facility for a violation of these requirements. Authorizes a claim of retaliation under the Act to be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction or any administrative hearing process conducted by the State and its agencies or departments with jurisdiction to hear complaints by employees or residents against nursing homes.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a minor technical adjustment to the short title within the Illinois Forestry Development Act. It does not change any laws, regulations, or policies affecting forestry operations or conservation efforts. The primary effect is to update the name used to refer to the legislation, with no impact on daily activities or legal obligations.

Amends the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning coverage for mammograms, provides that coverage for certain types of mammography shall be made available to patients of a specified age (rather than only women of a specified age). Makes changes to require coverage for molecular breast imaging and, in those cases where its not already covered, magnetic resonance imaging of breast tissue. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall convene an expert panel, including representatives of hospitals, free-standing breast cancer treatment centers, breast cancer quality organizations, and doctors, including radiologists that are trained in all forms of FDA approved breast imaging technologies, breast surgeons, reconstructive breast, surgeons, oncologists, and primary care providers to establish quality standards for breast cancer treatment. Makes technical changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning fentanyl education, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, provides that in at least one unit in the State-required health courses for grades 6 through 8 a school district shall provide instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl.

Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Removes the January 1, 2025 repealer date for the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Changes the names of the offenses of unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of firearm projectiles, and unlawful use of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone to unlawful possession of weapons, unlawful possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, persistent unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone. Provides that if any person before the effective date of the amendatory Act has been arrested, charged, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced for unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of firearm projectiles, or unlawful use of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone, the changes of the names and the defendants to unlawful possession of weapons, unlawful possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, persistent unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone, shall retroactively be made in any criminal background records maintained by the Illinois State Police, law enforcement agencies, clerks of the circuit court, and any other State agencies providing criminal background information to the public under specified timelines. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. In provisions requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to submit annual reports to the General Assembly regarding youth in care waiting for placement or psychiatric hospitalization, expands the information required in the reports to include the number of youth in care who remained overnight in temporary living spaces not authorized under the Child Care Act of 1969 solely because the Department cannot locate an appropriate placement for the youth. Provides that temporary living spaces not authorized under the Child Care Act of 1969 include, but are not limited to, Department or private agency offices or welcome centers. Defines "remaining overnight" to mean being present in the temporary living space at 1:00 a.m. Provides that at a minimum, the report shall include the following information regarding each youth: age, region, date of stay, length of time the youth was in the temporary living space, date and time the youth was moved from the temporary living space, the reason for the youth remaining overnight, and the type of placement or setting the youth was in immediately after leaving the temporary living space. Requires the report to reflect the number of unique youth involved, the number of episodes that occurred fitting the criteria, and the number of unique youth involved in multiple episodes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no insurer, dental service plan corporation, insurance network leasing company, or any company that amends, delivers, issues, or renews an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance that provides dental insurance on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall deny any claim subsequently submitted for procedures specifically included in a prior authorization unless certain circumstances apply. Provides that a dental service contractor shall not recoup a claim solely due to a loss of coverage for a patient or ineligibility if, at the time of treatment, the dental service contractor erroneously confirmed coverage and eligibility, but had sufficient information available to the dental service contractor indicating that the patient was no longer covered or was ineligible for coverage. Prohibits waiver of the provisions by contract.