Sen. Melinda Bush

Urges those in state government to commit to working to change the culture of racism within state government.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to identify and flag all college students who are potentially eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Provides that the factors to be used to determine potential SNAP eligibility shall be prescribed by the Department of Human Services by rule, but at a minimum the Department shall consider income information reported on a college student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Requires ISAC to develop a notice available electronically to institutions of higher education that includes, at a minimum, college student SNAP eligibility criteria, the Application for Benefits Eligibility's website address, and the Illinois Hunger Coalition's Hunger Hotline. Requires Illinois institutions of higher education that participate in the Monetary Award Program to provide the notice in writing to all students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment and are identified by ISAC as potentially SNAP eligible and, if possible, to designate a public benefits liaison or single point person to assist students in taking the necessary steps to obtain public benefits if eligible. Contains provisions concerning: SNAP Employment and Training program requirements; protocols to identify and verify all potential exemptions to an eligibility rule described in a specified federal regulation and to identify and verify a student's participation in educational programs; and other matters. Requires the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement specified provisions on or before October 1, 2017. Effective immediately.

Creates the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Provides that administrators and insurers, prior to going to market, must file with the Department of Insurance for review and approval a description of the services to be offered through a network plan, with certain criteria included in the description. Provides that the network plan shall demonstrate to the Department, prior to approval, a minimum ratio of full-time equivalent providers to plan beneficiaries and maximum travel and distance standards for plan beneficiaries, which shall be established annually by the Department based upon specified sources. Provides that the Department shall conduct quarterly audits of network plans to verify compliance with network adequacy standards. Establishes certain notice requirements. Provides that a network plan shall provide for continuity of care for its beneficiaries under certain circumstances and according to certain requirements. Provides that a network plan shall post electronically a current and accurate provider directory and make available in print, upon request, a provider directory subject to certain specifications. Provides that the Department is granted specific authority to issue a cease and desist order against, fine, or otherwise penalize any insurer or administrator for violations of any provision of the Act. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2018.

Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Contains provisions concerning the establishment of various programs and services for the benefit of veterans including a proactive outreach program for veterans that served in high casualty units, in units that experienced high conflict areas, and in units where at least one service member committed suicide following his or her service; a public awareness campaign concerning the trauma and internal injuries suffered by veterans; specified training concerning mental health services for employees of veterans service organizations, Veterans Assistance Commissions, and veterans' service associations; educational success programs for veterans experiencing specified difficulties in higher education; a family preparation course for the families of returning veterans; a licensing program for therapy dogs for veterans; a transition program for returning veterans that reside in the State; a system that allows veterans to file a specified federal form immediately upon discharge; creation of an employer training program; and a standard statewide peer-to-peer training program to familiarize veterans with the veterans' services available at the local, State, and federal levels. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to adopt any rules necessary to implement these provisions.

Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the School Code. Requires a school district to make feminine hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in the bathrooms of school buildings. Provides that this requirement also applies to charter schools.

Amends the Emancipation of Minors Act. Removes language pertaining to homeless minors from provisions governing: purpose and policy; jurisdiction; rights and responsibilities of an emancipated minor; petitions; and hearings. Repeals the definition of "homeless minor" and "youth transitional housing program". Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that services provided by youth transitional housing programs may include a service assessment, individualized case management, and life skills training. Provides that a homeless minor is eligible if certain criteria are met. Provides that if a homeless minor voluntarily leaves or is dismissed from a youth transitional housing program prior to reaching the age of majority, the youth transitional housing program agency shall contact the comprehensive community based youth services agency that provided crisis intervention services to the eligible homeless minor to assist in finding an alternative placement for the minor. Provides that nothing in the new provisions shall be construed to require an eligible homeless minor to acquire the consent of a parent, guardian, or custodian to consent to a youth transitional housing program. Provides that an eligible homeless minor is deemed to have the legal capacity to consent to receiving housing and services from a licensed youth transitional housing program. Contains a statement of purpose.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Provides that counseling services or psychotherapy on an outpatient basis provided to a minor 12 years of age or older must be provided by, or under the supervision of, a licensed service provider. Provides that until the consent of the minor's parent, legal guardian, or person in loco parentis has been obtained, outpatient counseling or psychotherapy provided to a minor under the age of 18 (rather than 17) shall be initially limited to not more than 8 90-minute sessions (rather than 5 sessions, a session lasting not more than 45 minutes). Provides that after the eighth session, the service provider shall consider specified statutory factors throughout the therapeutic process to determine, through consultation with the minor, whether attempting to obtain the consent of a parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis would be detrimental to the minor's well-being. Provides that obtaining the consent of a parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis shall be presumed to be detrimental to the minor's well-being for counseling services or psychotherapy related to allegations of neglect, sexual abuse, or mental or physical abuse by the minor's parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis. Provides that the minor's parent, guardian or person in loco parentis shall not be liable for the out-of-pocket costs, including co-payments, deductibles, or co-insurance (rather than costs)for outpatient counseling or psychotherapy which is received by the minor without the consent of the minor's parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis.

Amends the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. Allows a child to be absent from school on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day for the reason that his or her parent or legal guardian is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat-support postings. Provides that such a student shall be granted 10 days of excused absences in any school year and, at the discretion of the school board, additional excused absences to visit the student's parent or legal guardian relative to such leave or deployment of the parent or legal guardian. Requires the student and parent or legal guardian to obtain assignments from the student's teacher prior to any period of excused absence and for ensuring that such assignments are completed by the student prior to his or her return to school from such period of excused absence. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person also commits hate crime when, by reason of the actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or national origin of another individual or group of individuals, regardless of the existence of any other motivating factor or factors, he or she commits intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking, or transmission of obscene messages. Provides that independent of any criminal prosecution or the result of a criminal prosecution, any person suffering intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking, disorderly conduct, transmission of obscene messages, harassment by telephone, or harassment through electronic communications may bring a civil action for damages, injunction or other appropriate relief. Provides that the Attorney General may bring an action for civil damages for a hate crime in the name of the People of the State. Provides that the court shall impose a civil penalty of $25,000 for each violation of the hate crime statute.