Sen. Julie Morrison

Creates the Paid Family Leave Insurance Program Act. Requires the Department of Employment Security to establish and administer a Family Leave Insurance Program that provides family leave insurance benefits to eligible employees. Sets forth eligibility requirements for benefits under the Act. Provides that a self-employed individual may elect to be covered under the Act. Contains provisions concerning disqualification from benefits; compensation for family leave; the amount and duration of benefits; employer equivalent plans; an annual report by the Department; hearings; penalties; notice; the coordination of family leave; and rules. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the State Benefits Fund. Effective immediately, except that provisions concerning the State Benefits Fund take effect June 1, 2024 and provisions concerning the amount and duration of paid family leave take effect June 1, 2025.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2024 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $4.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined in by the Department of Human Services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for ID/DD facilities and MC/DD facilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2024 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $4.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined in rule by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, each individual who serves as a volunteer emergency worker for at least 9 months during the taxable year and does not receive compensation for his or her services as a volunteer emergency worker of more than $10,000 for the taxable year is entitled to a credit against specified taxes in an amount equal to $500. Defines "volunteer emergency worker". Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Mary Frances "Mary Fran" (Plunkett) Madden.

Amends the Department of Insurance Law. Provides that the Department of Insurance shall establish the Office of the Healthcare Advocate. Provides that the Office shall be administered by the Chief Health Care Advocate, who shall report to the Director of Insurance. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code and the Health Maintenance Organization Act. Provides that all individual and small group accident and health policies written subject to certain federal standards must file rates with the Department for approval. Provides that unreasonable rate increases or inadequate rates shall be modified or disapproved. Provides that when an insurer files a schedule or table of premium rates for individual or small group health benefit plans, the insurer shall post notice of the premium rate filings and a filing summary in plain language on the insurer's website. Provides that the Department shall post all insurers' rate filings and summaries on the Department's website. Provides that the Department shall open a 30-day public comment period on the date that a rate filing is posted on the website. Provides that the Department shall hold a public hearing during the 30-day comment period. Provides that the Director shall adopt affordability standards that must be considered in any decision to approve, disapprove, or modify rate filings. Provides that after the close of the public comment period, the Department shall issue a decision to approve, disapprove, or modify a rate filing, and post the decision on the Department's website. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules implementing specified procedures. Defines "inadequate rate", "plain language", and "unreasonable rate increase".

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that fines and fees deposited into the Wildlife and Fish Fund may be used to increase public safety through grants to not-for-profit entities for tick research, education, and evaluation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Banking Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Supporting Special Needs Students Law. Amends the School Code. When computing certain completion rates, requires the State Superintendent of Education to exclude students who: are at least 18 years of age as of September 1 of the school year as reported for the fall semester and have satisfied the credit requirements for high school graduation; have not completed their individualized education program; and are enrolled and receiving individualized education program services. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, in high school districts in counties with populations greater than 800,000 but less than 4,000,000 where there are 2 high schools individually serving grades 9 through 12 and where enrollment is less than 2,500 at any school, enrollment shall be balanced across high schools within the district equally, not to exceed a 15% enrollment difference when averaged over the previous 3 consecutive years.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Defines "dependent". Provides that beginning no later than the 2024-2025 academic year, if an exonerated person has been found by the Commission to qualify for a grant under this Section, and that person has not yet exhausted his or her eligibility for assistance, the exonerated person may designate one or more dependents to use any unexpended portion of the exonerated person's eligibility, up to the total benefit for which the exonerated person is eligible. Provides that the combined benefits used by the exonerated person and any designated dependents may not exceed the total benefit for which the exonerated person is eligible. Provides that if funding is insufficient to serve all applicants, the Commission may prioritize applicants who have been exonerated over applicants who are dependents of exonerated individuals.

Declares April of 2023 as "Prescribed Burning Awareness Month" in the State of Illinois.