Sen. Julie Morrison

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that owners of a facility must submit a transition plan upon a change of ownership. Requires the transition plan to include a detailed explanation of how resident care and appropriate staffing levels shall be maintained until the license has been obtained and the transfer of facility operations occurs. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall not approve any change of ownership without a sufficient transition plan. Provides penalties for failure to provide a transition plan and ensure residents are provided adequate care during the change of ownership process. Provides that the transferor's liability includes failure to have a sufficient transition plan during the change of ownership process. Effective immediately.

Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual plan of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after the effective date of the amendatory Act must provide coverage for wigs or other scalp prostheses worn for hair loss caused by alopecia, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment for cancer or other conditions. Makes a conforming change in the Health Maintenance Organization Act and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for distribution to the Illinois Area Agencies on Aging to provide services as described under the Family Caregiver Act and in accordance with Part E of Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that no electric or gas public utility shall disconnect service for nonpayment of a bill or deposit to any residential customer or master metered apartment building if gas or electricity is used as the primary source of space heating or is used to control or operate the primary source of space heating equipment at the premises and the customer has provided documentation that he or she is applying for grants or financial resources to pay the utility bill until 75 days after the customer provides documented proof of the grant or financial resource application. Provides that during the grace period the electric or gas public utility shall waive any late fees. Provides that an electric or gas public utility is not required to provide a grace period for a 12-month period after the conclusion of the preceding grace period.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires coverage of medically necessary treatment of a mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition for all individuals who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth to the same extent and cost-sharing as for any other medical condition covered under the policy. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed in this State shall provide coverage for medically necessary hormone therapy treatment to treat menopause (instead of to treat menopause that has been induced by a hysterectomy). Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires that upon approaching an emergency scene, a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or a construction or maintenance area or zone, a person who drives a vehicle shall, proceeding with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision and leaving a safe distance until safely past the stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or construction or maintenance area or zone. Provides that if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe, proceeding with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision, or until safely past the construction or maintenance area or zone.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no insurer, dental service plan corporation, professional service corporation, insurance network leasing company, or any company that amends, delivers, issues, or renews an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall require a dental care provider to incur a fee to access and obtain payment or reimbursement for services provided. Provides that a dental plan carrier shall provide a dental care provider with 100% of the contracted amount of the payment or reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Creates the State Beverage Container Recycling Refunds Act. Establishes the Distributor and Importer Responsibility Organization to implement a beverage container recycling redemption refund program to issue redemption refunds to consumers for beverage containers. Provides avenues for redeeming refunds under the Act. Contains labeling requirements. Sets forth performance targets for the Organization. Contains reporting requirements. Requires the Organization to establish an Operations Advisory Committee and an Equity and Access Advisory Committee. Contains provisions concerning reimbursement, enforcement, and administration and other provisions.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Adds definitions. Provides that the minimum ratio for each provider type shall be no less than any such ratio established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that the maximum travel time and distance standards and appointment wait time standards shall be no greater than any such standards established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Makes changes to provisions concerning network adequacy, notice of nonrenewal or termination, transition of services, network transparency, administration and enforcement, provider requirements, and provider directory information. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Makes changes to provisions concerning notice of nonrenewal or termination and transition of services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Department of Insurance to adopt emergency rules implementing federal standards for provider ratios, time and distance, or appointment wait times when such standards apply to health insurance coverage regulated by the Department of Insurance and are more stringent than the State standards extant at the time the final federal standards are published. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.