Sen. Sue Rezin

Amends the Minimum Wage Law. Provides that units of local government may enact ordinances to opt into a reduced minimum wage that is less than the wage otherwise required under the Law. Provides for minimum wages based upon a percentage of the otherwise required minimum wage depending upon the region of the State. Establishes 6 regions for purposes of determining the minimum wage. Provides that in regions where the minimum wage is reduced, the unit of local government must establish a procedure to increase the local minimum wage by at least 5% per year beginning January 1, 2026 and continuing until the local minimum wage is established at $15 per hour. Provides for reduced minimum wages for employees who have not worked 650 hours during a calendar year for an employer. Effective immediately.

Creates the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides requirements concerning disclosure and review of prior authorization requirements, denial of claims or coverage by a utilization review program, and the implementation of prior authorization requirements or restrictions. Provides requirements concerning a utilization review program's obligations with respect to prior authorizations in nonurgent circumstances, urgent health care services, and emergency health care services. Provides that a utilization review program shall not require prior authorization under specified circumstances. Provides requirements concerning the length of prior authorizations. Provides that health care services are automatically deemed authorized if a utilization review program fails to comply with the requirements of the Act. Provides that the Director of Insurance may impose an administrative fine not to exceed $250,000 for violations of the Act. Defines terms. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to provide that an insurer that provides prescription drug benefits must comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that if prior authorization for covered post-stabilization services is required by a health care plan, the plan shall comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide that all managed care organizations shall comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2021.

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Removes the requirement for each Legislative District to be divided into 2 Representative Districts. Modifies provisions concerning legislative redistricting. Provides specified requirements for each Legislative District, Representative District, and Congressional District for redistricting purposes. Replaces the current method of legislative redistricting with a 17-member Commission, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the most senior Supreme Court Justice of a different political party in accordance with specified criteria. Specifies requirements for the Commission concerning redistricting plans. Adds provisions concerning the membership of the Commission and budgetary matters related to the Commission. Provides the Supreme Court with original and exclusive jurisdiction over redistricting matters. Defines terms. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective upon being declared adopted and applicable to redistricting beginning in 2021 and to the election of General Assembly members beginning in 2022.

Mourns the death of Herman V. Schaefer Jr.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Adds provisions concerning expanded use of energy saving programs. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission may establish a program for promoting expanded use of energy saving programs for residential and small commercial customers. Provides that the program shall include the use of thermostats, lights, plugs, and other devices that allow a customer to control and reduce his or her energy usage. Provides that the program shall not discriminate based on brand names and shall include ways to promote those energy-saving devices and incentives for residential customers, including both homeowners and renters. Provides that on or before September 1, 2020 and every 2 years thereafter, the Commission shall initiate a collaborative workshop for stakeholders, retail electric suppliers, advocates for energy savings, and industry representatives developing energy saving devices and applications, and that any recommendations arising from the workshop process shall be included in the annual report of the Office of Retail Market Development.

Amends the Downstate Teachers and State Universities Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Requires an employer to make an additional employer contribution for a participant whose earnings for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earnings exceed the amount of his or her earnings with the same employer for the previous academic year by more than 6% (instead of 3%). Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Authorizes the Illinois Commerce Commission to extend the time for considering a certificate of service authority request by an alternative retail electric supplier under specified circumstances. Adds to the findings the Commission must make when granting a certificate of service authority for an alternative retail electric supplier. Requires an alternative retail electric supplier and an alternative gas supplier to provide the Commission and Attorney General the rates it charged to residential customers in the prior quarter. Requires an alternative retail electric supplier's marketing materials that include a price per kilowatt-hour for competitive electricity service include a specific statement that the alternative retail electric supplier is not the same entity as the customer's electric utility delivery company and directing the customer to the Commission's website. Requires an alternative retail electric supplier to provide notices to residential customers concerning certain rate changes. Provides that complaints against an alternative retail electric supplier may be filed with the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall ensure alternative retail electric suppliers and alternative gas suppliers have proper training in place to prohibit impersonation of a utility, investigate complaints, and impose fines for each incident. Provides that the Commission may establish a program for promising expanded use of energy savings programs for residential and small commercial customers. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. In provisions concerning electric service provider selection, provides that suppliers shall maintain and preserve an electronic version of third-party verifications if automated. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Provides revised disclosure of economic interest requirements for members of the General Assembly, candidates for nomination or election to the General Assembly, persons holding an elected office in the Executive Branch, and candidates for nomination or election to the Executive Branch. Makes conforming changes. Provides an applicability clause. Effective January 1, 2021.

Amends the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of teachers, a school board shall pay those who serve on a full-time basis a rate not less than (i) $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, (ii) $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, (iii) $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and (iv) $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the minimum salary rate for each school year thereafter, subject to review by the General Assembly, shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that, on or before January 31, 2020, the Professional Review Panel must submit a report to the General Assembly on how State funds and funds distributed under the evidence-based funding formula may aid the financial effects of the changes made by the amendatory Act. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-8 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/27A-10 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code to allow a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations to be issued to an applicant who, among other qualifications, has passed a paraprofessional competency test (instead of allowing the endorsement to be issued only if the applicant holds an associate's degree or a minimum number of higher education credits). Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement the test. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the Code to require charter school employees in instructional positions to have passed a content area knowledge test. Makes changes concerning obsolete language. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides specified requirements for when a company announces the permanent closure or decommissioning of a nuclear power plant. Effective immediately.