Sen. Patrick Joyce

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a child protective investigator is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, such as mace, pepper mace, or pepper gas, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the child protective investigator has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Illinois State Police. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a training program for child protective investigators on the proper use of personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide funding for the training program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Provides for the election of the Chicago Board of Education at the general primary election in 2022 only as a nonpartisan election on a separate ballot. Provides that a member of the Chicago Board of Education shall be elected at each consolidated election thereafter. Makes related changes. Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that a person shall be a U.S. citizen and registered voter and shall have been a resident of the city and the electoral district for at least one year immediately preceding his or her election. Sets forth provisions concerning nominating petitions and ballots. Sets forth provisions providing that the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 electoral districts by the General Assembly for seats on the Chicago Board of Education. Sets forth provisions providing that in the year following each decennial census, the General Assembly shall redistrict the electoral districts to reflect the results of each decennial census. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.

Designates the section of Route 6 in the City of Marseilles that runs from the intersections of Route 6 and Oakdale Street to Route 6 and Main Street as the "SPEC Norman Treest Memorial Highway".

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the month of October of each year is designated as Italian Heritage Month to be observed throughout the State as a month to recognize the contributions and influence of Italians on American history, achievement, culture, and innovation. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 490/9 new Adds reference to: 25 ILCS 120/6.7 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Compensation Review Act. Prohibits cost-of-living adjustments for or during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 for State government legislative and executive elected officers and appointees in positions for which the Compensation Review Board previously recommended or determined compensation. 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 organization, and the implementation of prior authorization requirements or restrictions. Provides requirements concerning a utilization review organization's obligations with respect to prior authorizations in nonurgent circumstances, urgent health care services, and emergency health care services. Provides that a utilization review organization 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 organization 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 Illinois Insurance Code to change the definition of "emergency medical condition". Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to provide that companies that transact accident and health insurance shall comply with specified requirements of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights 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, 2022.

Amends the Expressway Camera Act. Includes Boone, Bureau, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair, Will and Winnebago counties among the counties in which the Illinois State Police, the Department of Transportation, and the Toll Highway Authority shall increase the amount of expressway and highway cameras. Provides that any funds needed to conduct the program for use on expressways shall be taken from the Road Fund or Illinois State Toll Highway Authority funds and shall be included in requests for qualification processes for both agencies. Repeals the Act on July 1, 2025 (rather than July 1, 2023).

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Declares that all changes to the existing nursing facility direct care reimbursement rate methodologies and to the bed assessment and collection procedures must be approached with caution, executed deliberately, and held to the highest of standards in order to protect nursing facility residents from disruption in care, protect workers from lost wages and jobs, and protect providers from the increased instability within the industry. Provides that a Nursing Facility Oversight Committee (Committee) shall be named by the 4 legislative leaders to oversee, assess, and provide direction to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services as it relates to long term care services. Contains provisions on the Committee's composition, meetings, proxy voting, and other matters. Requires the Department to seek the advice and consent of the Committee prior to filing emergency or permanent administrative rules with the Secretary of State or submitting Medicaid State Plan amendments and all correspondence to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Requires the Department to prepare transition plans for the redesign of the direct care reimbursement rate methodologies and the assessment tax schedule and collection proceedings. Contains provisions concerning advanced notice to nursing facilities of all payment, award, and rate changes; a quarterly direct care per diem reimbursement rate for each nursing facility; direct care reimbursement rate components subject to redesign; establishment of a single quarterly non-Medicare occupied bed varied tax assessment; State Plan amendments to permit expedited implementation of the redesigned bed assessment; compliance requirements for managed care organizations; penalties for non-compliance; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Eliminates the January 1, 2023 sunset of the provision that exempts from an eavesdropping violation, with prior request to and written or verbal approval of the State's Attorney of the county in which the conversation is anticipated to occur, recording or listening with the aid of an eavesdropping device to a conversation in which a law enforcement officer, or any person acting at the direction of a law enforcement officer, is a party to the conversation and has consented to the conversation being intercepted or recorded in the course of an investigation of a qualified offense as defined in the provision. Effective immediately.

Repeals the Aquaculture Development Act. Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois Municipal Code, the Illinois Pesticide Act, the Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act, the County Cooperative Extension Law, the Fish and Aquatic Life Code, and the Unemployment Insurance Act making conforming changes.