Sen. Melinda Bush

Urges the State of Illinois to fully fund the Guidehouse final rate recommendations in FY 22.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Provides that local emergency response planning officials, in consultation with the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), shall partner with school districts in their regions to disseminate information pertaining to safety threats related to the storage and transport of hazardous substances, including petroleum oil and high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs), to the parents of attending students, faculty and staff, and schools at risk of being negatively impacted by storage facilities of such hazardous substances or the transport of such hazardous substances. Requires the SERC to perform specified tasks. Provides that the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency shall have joint rulemaking authority to adopt rules to implement the provisions. Contains other provisions.

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

Directs the Auditor General to conduct an audit of Medicaid MCOs.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Allows the board of trustees of a community college district to establish and offer a baccalaureate-level early childhood education program and confer a bachelor of applied science degree in early childhood education and a Professional Educator License with endorsements in early childhood education and early childhood special education under certain conditions. Provides for an application for approval from the Illinois Community College Board. Sets forth college requirements and prohibitions. Provides that a candidate for educator licensure must successfully complete applicable testing requirements prior to the issuance of an educator license and any endorsements. Provides for a statewide evaluation of such programs.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a child protective investigator is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, such as mace, pepper mace, or pepper gas, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the child protective investigator has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Illinois State Police. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a training program for child protective investigators on the proper use of personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide funding for the training program. Effective immediately.

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 of Insurance for approval. Provides that unreasonable rate increases or inadequate rates shall be disapproved. Requires the Department to provide a report to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2023 regarding both on and off exchange individual and small group rates in the Illinois market. Requires that the Department approve or deny rate filings within 45 calendar days of submission unless the Director of Insurance extends the period by following specific procedures. Provides that a rate increase that is not approved or denied by the Department by the applicable deadline shall be automatically approved on the following calendar day. Provides that no less than 30 days after the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has certified the plans described in this Section for the upcoming plan year, the Department shall publish on its website a report explaining the rates for that plan year's certified health care plans. Defines "inadequate rate" and "unreasonable rate increase". Effective immediately.

Creates the Fix the FOID Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Creates the Emergency Situation Essential Caregiver Act. Presents the findings of the General Assembly. Provides that, during any emergency situation, essential caregivers shall be allowed to visit residents in accordance with the Act. Provides that residents of a facility shall be allowed to designate up to 3 essential caregivers who will be allowed to visit and provide care in accordance with this Act in the event of an emergency. Provides that current residents of a facility must be allowed to designate up to 3 essential caregivers within 10 business days of the Act's effective date. Requires facilities to establish specified policies and procedures regarding the designation of essential caregivers, visitations by essential caregivers, and scheduling of such visits that will be in effect during the time of any emergency situation. Provides that residents who are unreasonably denied access to an essential caregiver are entitled to recover statutory damages from the facility of up to $10,000 per day that access is unreasonably denied. Contains an immunity provision for facilities, facility employees, or facility contractors who act in good faith to implement the Act's requirements. Provides that the Act may not be suspended or modified by Executive Order. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that if a generic equivalent for a brand name drug is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, plans that provide coverage for prescription drugs through the use of a drug formulary that are amended, delivered, issued, or renewed in the State on or after January 1, 2022 shall comply with specified requirements. Provides that the Department of Insurance may adopt rules to implement provisions concerning notice of change of drug formulary. In provisions concerning a contract between a health insurer and a pharmacy benefit manager, provides that a pharmacy benefit manager must update and publish maximum allowable cost pricing information according to specified requirements, must provide a reasonable administrative appeal procedure to allow pharmacies to challenge maximum allowable costs, and must comply with specified requirements if an appeal is denied. Sets forth provisions concerning pharmacy benefit manager contracts; specified requirements that a pharmacy benefit manager shall comply with; specified requirements that an auditing entity shall comply with when conducting a pharmacy audit; and specified requirements concerning pharmacy network access standards. Provides that a violation of specified provisions is an unfair method of competition and unfair and deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance. Sets forth provisions concerning applicability of the Pharmacy Benefit Managers Article of the Illinois Insurance Code, and provisions concerning fiduciary responsibility of a pharmacy benefit manager. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Sets forth provisions concerning reimbursement of professional dispensing fees and acquisition costs for pharmacy providers. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/513b7 new 215 ILCS 5/513b8 new 215 ILCS 124/35 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that a pharmacy may not be subject to a chargeback or recoupment for a clerical or recordkeeping error in a required document or record unless the pharmacy benefit manager can provide proof of intent to commit fraud or such error results in actual financial harm to the pharmacy benefit manager, a health plan managed by the pharmacy benefit manager, or a consumer. Removes various provisions concerning pharmacy benefit manager contracts. Defines "spread pricing". Removes various definitions. Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. In provisions concerning pharmacy payments under the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code, provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may reimburse a pharmacy owned by an entity participating in the federal Drug Pricing Program under the federal Public Health Service Act, for drugs purchased under the Program, an amount equal to or greater than the ceiling price calculated under the federal Act. Provides that all Medicaid managed care organizations must reimburse a pharmacy participating in the federal Drug Pricing Program, for drugs purchased under the Program, an amount equal to or greater than the current national average drug acquisition cost listing for the pharmaceutical product. Provides that the Department, a Medicaid managed care organization, and a pharmacy benefit manager under contract with a Medicaid managed care provider to reimburse pharmacy providers shall not prohibit any entity or pharmacy participating in the federal Drug Pricing Program from using drugs purchased under the federal Act when submitting claims for pharmaceutical reimbursement. Makes other changes.