Sen. Don Harmon

Mourns the death of Marilyn F. Hayes of Oak Park.

Mourns the death of Gulliume "Bill" Moor.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires the Department of Insurance to develop a uniform electronic prior authorization form to be used by an insurer that provides prescription drug benefits when requiring prior authorization. Provides that the development of the uniform electronic prior authorization form shall include input from specified interested parties and that the Department of Insurance shall take into consideration certain existing prior authorization forms and national standards pertaining to electronic authorization. Includes procedures for when a completed and accurate uniform electronic prior authorization form is not accepted by the insurer. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop a uniform electronic prior authorization form to be used by a managed care organization that provides prescription drug benefits when requiring prior authorization. Provides that the development of the uniform electronic prior authorization form shall include input from specified interested parties and that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall take into consideration certain existing prior authorization forms and national standards pertaining to electronic authorization. Includes procedures for when a completed and accurate uniform electronic prior authorization form is not accepted by the managed care organization.

Amends the Entity Omnibus Act. Provides that the organic law of the entity, in addition to the Act, may displace the principles of law and equity. Provides that the Secretary of State may propound interrogatories as may be reasonably necessary to ascertain whether entities subject to the Act have complied with the Act. Provides process for the response to and filing of interrogatories by the Secretary. Provides that the Act controls in the event of any conflict with the provisions of other specified Acts applicable to business organizations. Provides that an entity shall maintain a plan of conversion or domestication in accordance with the entity's policy for maintaining books and records. Deletes language exempting certain entities from the requirement that a plan of conversion be approved in a record. Deletes language allowing the filing of a plan of conversion, instead of a statement of conversion, under certain circumstances. Makes other changes concerning: the effect of conversion or domestication on the name of an entity; and the effective date of a domestication. Effective July 1, 2019.

Creates the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act. Defines terms. Provides for: applicability; relation to other law; service; notice by posting; commissioners; determination of value; cotenant buyout; partition alternatives; considerations for partition in kind; open-market sale, sealed bids, or auction; and report of open-market sale. Makes conforming changes in the Code of Civil Procedure. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: Changes the definition of "heirs property" and "partition by sale". Defines "fair market value". Provides that if the court determines that the evidentiary value of an appraisal is outweighed by the cost of the appraisal, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to the parties of the fair market value of the property. Provides that if an appraisal is conducted, not later than 10 days after the appraisal is filed, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to each party with a known address. Provides that after a hearing to determine the fair market value of the property, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice to all of the parties of the value and a cotenant's buyout rights (rather than the court shall send notice to the parties of the value). Provides that after the determination of the value, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to the parties that any cotenant may buy all the interests of the cotenants that requested partition by sale. Provides that after the expiration period, if no cotenant elects to buy all the interests of the cotenants that requested partition by sale, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to all the parties of that fact and resolve the partition. Provides that cotenants must pay their apportioned price to the clerk of court or as otherwise ordered by the court (rather than into the court). Provides that if one or more, but not all, of the electing cotenants fail to pay their apportioned price on time, the court shall order the plaintiff to give notice (rather than the court shall give notice) to the electing cotenants that paid their apportioned price of the interest remaining and the price for all that interest. Provides that the court, in determining whether partition in kind would result in manifest prejudice to the cotenants as a group, shall consider the tax consequences. Provides that if the court orders partition in kind, the court shall allocate to the cotenants that are unknown, unlocatable, or the subject of a default judgment, if their interests were not brought, a party of the property representing the combined interests of those cotenants as determined by the court. Provides that the court shall apportion the costs of the proceedings for the partition of heirs property among the parties in interest in the action, as the court deems just and equitable. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: New Act 735 ILCS 5/17-101 from Ch. 110, par. 17-101 735 ILCS 5/17-102 from Ch. 110, par. 17-102 735 ILCS 5/17-105 from Ch. 110, par. 17-105 735 ILCS 5/17-106 from Ch. 110, par. 17-106 Adds reference to: 775 ILCS 5/3-102.5 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to refuse to, due to the fact of an arrest, juvenile record, or criminal history record information ordered expunged, sealed, or impounded: sell or rent or otherwise make unavailable or deny a housing accommodation or dwelling to any buyer or renter; or alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of the sale or rental of a housing accommodation or dwelling or the provision of services or facilities in connection with such housing accommodation. Provides that the prohibition against the use of an arrest record shall not preclude an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction from prohibiting the tenant, a member of the tenant's household, or a guest of the tenant from engaging in unlawful activity on the premises. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adds reference to: 775 ILCS 5/1-103 from Ch. 68, par. 1-103 775 ILCS 5/2-103 from Ch. 68, par. 2-103 775 ILCS 5/3-102 from Ch. 68, par. 3-102 775 ILCS 5/3-106 from Ch. 68, par. 3-106 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, because of an arrest record to: refuse to engage in a real estate transaction with a person or to discriminate in making available such a transaction; alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith; refuse to receive or to fail to transmit a bona fide offer to engage in a real estate transaction from a person; refuse to negotiate for a real estate transaction with a person; represent a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it is so available, or fail to bring a property listing to his or her attention, or to refuse to permit him or her to inspect real property; make, print, circulate, post, mail, publish, or cause to made, printed, circulated, posted, mailed, or published, any notice, statement, advertisement, or sign, or use a form of application for a real estate transaction, or make a record or inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction, that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on an arrest record, or any intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination; or offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with knowledge that unlawful discrimination or discrimination on the basis of an arrest record in a real estate transaction is intended. Provides that the prohibition against the use of an arrest record shall not preclude an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction from prohibiting the tenant, a member of the tenant's household, or a guest of the tenant from engaging in unlawful activity on the premises. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2020.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that a person who has been granted a senior citizens homestead exemption need not reapply for the exemption. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 35 ILCS 200/9-275 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, for taxable years 2020 through 2024, a taxpayer who has been granted a senior citizens homestead exemption need not reapply (currently, the taxpayer must reapply annually). Provides that, if the property ceases to be qualified for that exemption in any year for which a reapplication is not required, then the owner of record of the property shall notify the chief county assessment officer that the property is no longer qualified. Provides that the chief county assessment officer shall enter into intergovernmental agreements with the county clerk of his or her county and the Department of Public Health, as well as any other appropriate governmental agency, to obtain information that documents the death of a taxpayer who has been granted a senior citizens homestead exemption. Makes conforming changes in provisions concerning erroneous homestead exemptions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Attorney General Act. Creates the Worker Protection Unit within the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to intervene in, initiate, enforce, and defend all criminal or civil legal proceedings on matters and violations relating to specified statutes. Provides further powers and requirements of the Attorney General in the Worker Protection Unit. Creates the Worker Protection Task Force. Provides for the purposes and composition of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding its progress no later than December 1, 2020. Repeals the Task Force December 1, 2021. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with additions and changes. Modifies provisions concerning the Worker Protection Unit. Specifies that the Unit shall be dedicated to combating businesses that underpay their employees, force their employees to work in unsafe conditions, and gain an unfair economic advantage by avoiding their tax and labor responsibilities. Specifies that the Unit shall have the power and duty to intervene in, initiate, and enforce all legal proceedings on matters related to the payment of wages, the safety of the workplace, and fair employment practices. Provides that the Office of the Attorney General may use information obtained by the Worker Protection Unit for law enforcement purposes only. Modifies provisions concerning the Worker Protection Unit Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be coordinated by the Office of the Attorney General to promote a statewide outreach and enforcement effort to target businesses that violate the State's worker protection laws (currently, to target Illinois' underground economy). Adds members to the Task Force. Makes other changes concerning the purposes and duties of the Unit and Task Force.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, no later than day 60 of instruction in each school year, a school board shall report to the State Board of Education for kindergarten through grade 12 classes certain information about actively employed teachers, pupil-teacher ratios, class instructors, and class sections; defines terms. Requires the State Board of Education to publish the information contained in the reports on its Internet website no later than December 1, 2020 and annually thereafter. Sets forth class size goals to be achieved by the 2021-2022 school year. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. Provides that, no later than January 31, 2021, and annually thereafter, the State Board of Education must make available on its website information about actively employed teachers within each school district, pupil-teacher ratios for each school district, class instructors by grade level and subject in each school district, and class size in each school; defines terms. Requires each school district to report the information required for the State Board's report no later November 16, 2021, and annually thereafter, and also make that information available on its website. Fiscal Note, House Committee Amendment No. 1 (State Board of Education) House Bill 254, with House Amendment 1, is estimated to have a fiscal impact of $10,000 on the Illinois State Board of Education's budget for information technology development and project costs to collect and report the required data State Mandates Fiscal Note, House Committee Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State mandate. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Requires each school district to report the information required for the State Board of Education's report no later than November 16, 2020 (rather than November 16, 2021) and annually thereafter.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a Section concerning the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, provides that in all counties (now, in counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants), the county board may by resolution provide that if a person has been granted a senior citizens homestead exemption, the person qualifying need not reapply for the exemption. Provides that the county recorder of deeds shall alert the assessor whenever the transfer of ownership of any property receiving a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption has occurred. Provides that, if such a transfer occurs, the assessor shall remove the exemption and provide the new property owner with information concerning reapplication. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the county assessor shall exchange information with the county recorder of deeds or the county clerk (in the introduced bill, the county recorder of deeds only) for the purpose of alerting the assessor whenever the transfer of ownership of any property receiving a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption has occurred. Provides that changes in the introduced bill concerning reapplication for the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption apply for taxable year 2019 and thereafter. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 35 ILCS 200/15-170 Adds reference to: 35 ILCS 5/205 from Ch. 120, par. 2-205 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes changes concerning the calculation of base income for an organization that is exempt from the federal income tax by reason of the Internal Revenue Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in a Section regarding the short title of the Article concerning mortgage foreclosures. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 735 ILCS 5/15-1101 Adds reference to: 735 ILCS 5/15-1503 from Ch. 110, par. 15-1503 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Mortgage Foreclosure Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that if any defendant cannot be personally served with a summons and complaint but is served by publication, it is the duty of the plaintiff or his or her representative to mail to each defendant listed on the filed Affidavit for Service by Publication a copy of the published notice by first-class mail, addressed to each defendant whose place of residence is stated on the affidavit. Provides that an affidavit of the plaintiff or his or her representative stating that he or she has mailed the copy of the notice is evidence that he or she has done so. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 735 ILCS 5/15-1101 Adds reference to: 735 ILCS 5/2-206 from Ch. 110, par. 2-206 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that if, in any action brought under the Judicial Foreclosure Article, a plaintiff files an affidavit showing that the defendant resides outside of or has left the State, or on due inquiry cannot be found, or is concealed within the State so that process cannot be served upon him or her, and stating the place of residence of the defendant or that the place of residence of the defendant cannot be ascertained, the plaintiff shall cause publication to be made in some newspaper published in the county in which the action is pending or, under certain circumstances, in a newspaper published in an adjoining county. Provides that the plaintiff shall, within 10 days of the first publication of the notice, send a copy by mail, addressed to each defendant whose place of residence is stated in the affidavit. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill, and makes the following changes: Provides that the clerk of the court (rather than the plaintiff) shall, within 10 days of the first publication of the notice, send a copy of the notice by mail to each defendant whose place of residence is stated in the affidavit. Makes a corresponding change.