Sen. Adriane Johnson

Amends the Real Estate Appraiser Licensing Act of 2002. Provides that, for license renewals occurring on or after January 1, 2025, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall require that the continuing education requirements include at least 2 hours of instruction concerning the elimination of valuation bias. Provides that, for license renewals occurring on or after January 1, 2025, the Department shall require that the continuing education requirements include at least 2 hours of instruction in federal, State, and municipal fair housing laws. Provides that the Department may adopt rules to implement and administer the provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, on and after July 1, 2024, each month the Department of Revenue shall pay into the State Aviation Program Fund 25% (currently, 20%) of the net revenue realized for the preceding month from the tax imposed on the selling price of aviation fuel. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Specifies that the notice in contested case hearings must include an enclosure that notifies the recipient of the ability to request interpretive assistance for the hearing and to receive language assistance in translating the contents of the notice. Provides that an administrative law judge has the duty to inquire and determine whether a self-represented litigant or witness in a hearing needs interpretive assistance to participate in or understand the hearing. Authorizes any self-represented litigant, witness, or indigent person to request, at any time during the course of a hearing, interpretive assistance needed to participate in or understand the hearing. Provides that, if interpretive assistance is requested by a self-represented litigant, a witness, or an indigent person or if interpretive assistance is determined to be necessary by the administrative law judge, the administrative agency must appoint a foreign language interpreter at no cost to the person in need of the assistance for use in a substantive hearing. Authorizes an administrative agency to provide interpretive assistance during a nonsubstantive hearing through use of an interpreter who is not a foreign language interpreter, provided the administrative law judge examines the interpreter for competency for the purposes of the nonsubstantive hearing. Requires all persons appointed to provide interpretive assistance in substantive and nonsubstantive hearings to make certain affirmations. Contains provisions concerning waiver of these language assistance provisions.

Amends the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989. Requires the rules the Department of Financial and Professional Regulations adopts as to what constitutes a professional engineering or related science curriculum to include bachelor’s degree programs in engineering technology as professional engineering or related science curriculum.

Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for the purpose of removing barriers to the timely treatment of serious mental illnesses, prior authorization mandates and utilization management controls shall not be imposed under the fee-for-service and managed care medical assistance programs on any FDA-approved prescription drug that is recognized by a generally accepted standard medical reference as effective in the treatment of conditions specified in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. Provides that the following shall be permitted for prescription drugs covered under the amendatory Act: (i) clinically appropriate drug utilization review (DUR) edits, including, but not limited to, drug-to-drug, drug-age, and drug-dose; (ii) generic drug substitution if a generic drug is available for the prescribed medication in the same dosage and formulation; and (iii) any utilization management control that is necessary for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to comply with any current consent decrees or federal waivers. Defines "serious mental illness".

Declares March 12, 2024 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that a person shall not perform surgical claw removal, declawing, or a tendonectomy on any cat or otherwise alter a cat's toes, claws, or paws to prevent or impair the normal function of the cat's toes, claws, or paws, except for a therapeutic purpose. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall subject a person who violates the provisions to a civil penalty of $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second violation, and $2,500 for a third or subsequent violation.

Mourns the death of Beatrice Idleburg of Zion.

Declares March 6, 2024 as Rare Disease Day in the State of Illinois in order to raise awareness of rare diseases, support individuals and families who struggle with rare diseases, bring attention to the need for research and funding to support the discovery and development of therapies designed to treat and potentially cure rare diseases, and support the continued work of the Illinois Rare Disease Commission.