Sen. Kimberly Lightford

Amends the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. Provides that "grantor agency" includes the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation when it makes grants under the Access to Justice Act or the Illinois Equal Justice Act. Amends the Access to Justice Act. Provides that grants or distributions made under the Act by (rather than to) the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation are subject to the requirements of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Railroad Supplier Diversity Act. Adds the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (doing business as Amtrak) to the list of entities that may report to the Illinois Commerce Commission under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that registered professional nursing practice is a scientific process founded on a professional body of knowledge; it is a learned profession based on the understanding of the human condition across the life span and environment and includes all nursing specialties and means the performance of any nursing act based upon professional knowledge, judgment, and skills acquired by means of completion of an approved professional nursing education program. Provides that registered professional nurses may delegate nursing interventions and tasks (rather than nursing interventions) to other registered professional nurses and licensed practical nurses and may delegate tasks to unlicensed personnel based on the comprehensive nursing assessment. Removes provisions concerning delegation of nursing interventions and administration of medications in community-based or in-home care settings. Provides that a registered professional nurse may delegate tasks to other licensed and unlicensed persons. Makes other changes. Effective August 1, 2019.

Amends the Student Investment Account Act. Provides that the State Treasurer shall develop and implement a student loan refinancing program. Provides that the State Treasurer shall establish specific criteria and guidelines for the program, including: the eligibility of borrowers who may participate in the program; establishing consumer protections for borrowers in the program; the limitations and scope of the program; and program accountability. Authorizes rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that "race", as used in the Employment and Elementary, Secondary, and Higher Education Articles, includes traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists.

Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Removes language exempting from coverage under the Act an employee of an employer subject to the provisions of Title II of the federal Railway Labor Act.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Creates a tax increment allocation financing extension for ordinances adopted on March 27, 1997 by the Village of Maywood approving the Roosevelt Road TIF District and the Madison Street/Fifth Avenue TIF District. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the medical assistance program shall provide coverage for routine care costs that are incurred in the course of an approved clinical trial if the medical assistance program would provide coverage for the same routine care costs not incurred in a clinical trial. Defines "approved clinical trial" to mean a phase I, II, III, or IV clinical trial involving the prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer or any other life-threatening disease or condition. Defines "routine care cost" to mean the cost of medically necessary services related to the care method that is under evaluation in a clinical trial, including the cost of services related to the detection and treatment of any complications arising from the patient's medical care and any complications related to participation in the clinical trial. Defines other terms.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Requires a hospital to provide a plan of correction to the Department of Public Health within 60 days if the hospital demonstrates a pattern or practice of failing to substantially comply with specified requirements or with the hospital's written staffing plan. Allows the Department to impose specified fines on a hospital for failing to comply with written staffing plans for nursing services or plans of correction. Requires money from fines to be deposited into the Hospital Licensure Fund (instead of the Long Term Care Provider Fund). Contains provisions concerning staffing plans. Amends the Nursing Education Scholarship Law. Provides that the Department of Public Health may award a total of $500,000 annually in nursing education scholarships. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for taxpayers who are employed during the taxable year as nurse educators. Provides that the credit shall be equal to 2.5% of the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income for the taxable year. Effective immediately, except that provisions amending the Hospital Licensing Act take effect on the first day of the first full calendar month that begins 6 months after the Act becomes law.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that through June 30, 2022 (instead of June 30, 2020), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.