Sen. Mike Halpin

Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that the advice and technical assistance provided to State grant-making agencies by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act shall include training for State agency staff. Sets forth requirements for the training. Provides that a State grant-making agency that awards a grant must issue the grant agreement associated with the grant within 60 days after the grant's effective date. Sets forth requirements for the grant agreement.

Maddy summarySB 2800 prevents local governments (cities and counties with home rule status) from regulating, licensing, or taxing sports wagering (sports betting). It explicitly states that these powers are exclusively held by the state of Illinois under the Sports Wagering Act. The bill denies local units the authority to impose fees, surcharges, or taxes on sports betting activities or related receipts. This change takes effect immediately upon the bill becoming law.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that, subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2027, rates for in-home services shall be increased to $33.92 to sustain a minimum wage of $20.75 per hour for direct service workers. Requires rates in subsequent State fiscal years to be no lower than the rates put into effect upon federal approval. Provides that in order for a provider of in-home services to be eligible to receive the $33.92 rate, the provider must pay a minimum wage of $20.75 per hour to all direct service workers employed by the provider. Requires providers of in-home services to certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Requires each provider of in-home services to submit cost reports to the Department consistent with a specified administrative rule in order to be eligible for the $33.92 rate for in-home services. Provides that fringe benefits shall not be reduced in relation to the described rate increases. Requires the Department, beginning January 1, 2027, to ensure that each in-home service provider spends a minimum of 79% of the total payments the provider receives for home care aide services it furnishes under the Community Care Program on total compensation for direct service workers who furnish those services. Requires annual direct service worker cost reports from providers; and requires the Department to amend existing rules on financial reporting and minimum direct service worker costs to reflect the increase in the direct service worker spending requirement from 77% to 79%.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall provide grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other companies that the Department of Agriculture determines are eligible for grant funding. Provides that eligible expenditures include tank modifications, tanks, piping, and fuel dispensers. Provides that an eligible grant recipient shall not receive more than $1,000,000 in grant funding. Provides that no funding under the program shall be made available to a public body. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund, unless the Underground Storage Tank Fund has a balance at or below $75,000,000. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force. Sets forth membership and duties of the Task Force. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Prohibits the Board from creating an upper payment limit that is different from the Medicare Maximum Fair Price for the prescription drug product that has a Medicare Maximum Fair Price. Requires the Board to implement an upper payment limit that is the same as the Medicare Maximum Fair Price no sooner than the Medicare implementation date. Provides that Medicare Part C and D plans are not required to reimburse at the upper payment limit. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce the Act and may pursue any available remedy under State law when enforcing the Act. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Amends the State Comptroller Act. Provides an exception for vendors to receive payment by non-electronic means. Provides that outstanding liabilities as of June 30, payable from appropriations which have otherwise expired and interest penalties payable on those liabilities under the State Prompt Payment Act, may be paid out of the expiring appropriations during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31 of each year, without regard to the fiscal year in which the payment is made. Amends the Prompt Payment Act. Removes provisions concerning payments made under the Public Aid Code. Provides that when a State official or agency responsible for administering a contract receives a bill or invoice from a contractor, that State official or agency shall electronically confirm the date on which the bill or invoice was received within 5 business days of receipt, and shall transmit any approved amount to the Comptroller within 30 days of receipt. Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that all claims against the State founded upon any contract entered into with the State of Illinois, except that undisputed individual claims below $2,500 resulting from lapsed appropriations do not fall under the jurisdiction of Court of Claims. State agencies may pay undisputed individual claims below $2,500 resulting from lapsed appropriations from current fiscal year appropriations. Sets forth that the provisions are not intended to prohibit more frequent reporting to assess items such as service needs, gaps, or capacity. Sets forth other provisions concerning grant agreement specifications, separate accounts for State grant funds, expenditures prior to grant execution and reporting requirements.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, on and after the publication of population data from the 2030 federal decennial census, provisions concerning multi-township assessors apply to qualified townships with less than 3,000 inhabitants (currently 1,000 inhabitants). Effective immediately.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, on and after the effective date of the amendatory Act, before the estimated dates of completion of a redevelopment project and retirement of obligations issued to finance development project costs (including refunding bonds) are extended to the 35th or 47th years, the municipality must submit to the Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives written support for the extension of the life of the redevelopment project area from each school district, community college district, and park district that has authority to directly levy taxes on property within the redevelopment project area. Provides that a municipality may only submit written support to extend a redevelopment project area to the 35th year within the 5 years prior to the estimated date of completion of the redevelopment project and may only submit written support to extend a redevelopment project area to the 47th year within one year prior to the estimated date of completion of the redevelopment project area. Effective immediately.

Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Provides that an auxiliary officer is a law enforcement officer for purposes of the Act. Amends the Law Enforcement Camera Grant Act. Specifies that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board must make grants to units of local government in Illinois and Illinois public universities for, among other things, purchasing or leasing officer-worn body cameras and associated technology for auxiliary officers and training auxiliary officers. Defines "auxiliary officer" for purposes of both Acts.

Creates the Illinois Middle-Income Housing Grant Pilot Act. Provides that subject to appropriation for this purpose, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (Authority) shall establish and administer a 3-year Illinois Middle-Income Housing Grant Pilot Program to facilitate housing development in targeted communities across the State of Illinois. Provides that eligible grant applicants shall include developers specifically in any community with an authorized River Edge Redevelopment Zone. Provides that any community within this designation is eligible to apply to support projects within such communities. Permits the Authority to enter into a subcontract agreement with developers with qualified residences. Provides that awards can be used for both redevelopment and new development projects; and that grant proposals may be submitted to the Authority directly to be used as a part of a development agreement with an eligible developer. Contains provisions on rules to implement the pilot program, grant award amounts, project costs limits, and other matters. Creates the Illinois Middle-Income Housing Grant Pilot Program Fund to consist of any moneys appropriated for the pilot program. Amends the State Finance Act by adding the Illinois Middle-Income Housing Grant Pilot Program Fund to the list of State funds.