Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson

Mourns the death of Terry W. Cole Sr. of Champaign.

Mourns the death of Dolores Shirley Sellers Williams.

Declares domestic violence a public health priority for the State of Illinois and urges the state to make available all necessary resources to combat this epidemic.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Removes a provision prohibiting the non-contributory portion of a program of health-benefits from including the expenses of obtaining an abortion. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes a provision excluding abortions or induced miscarriages or premature births from the list of services provided under the State's medical assistance program. Removes language providing for the adoption of rules to prohibit a physician from providing medical assistance to anyone eligible for medical assistance benefits if the physician has been found guilty of willfully and wantonly performing an abortion procedure upon a woman who was not pregnant at the time of the procedure. Removes other provisions concerning abortion restrictions. Amends the Problem Pregnancy Health Services and Care Act. Removes language prohibiting the Department of Human Services from making grants to nonprofit agencies and organizations that use such grants to refer or counsel for, or perform, abortions. Amends the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975. Provides that it is the intention of the General Assembly to reasonably regulate abortion in conformance with the legal standards set forth in the decisions of the United States Supreme Court of January 22, 1973. Removes language concerning the General Assembly's declaration that the unborn child is a human being from the time of conception and is, therefore, a legal person for purposes of the unborn child's right to life. Makes other changes.

Creates the Industrial Hemp Act. Provides that a person desiring to grow, cultivate, or process industrial hemp or industrial hemp products must be licensed by the Department of Agriculture. Provides that the application for a license shall include the name and address of the applicant and the legal description of the land area, including Global Positioning System coordinates, to be used to cultivate industrial hemp. Provides that the Department may determine, by rule, the duration of a license and the requirements for license renewal. Preempts home rule powers. Amends the Illinois Noxious Weed Law. Provides that "noxious weed" does not include industrial hemp. Amends the Cannabis Control Act. Provides that "cannabis" does not include industrial hemp. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. In provisions concerning transition of services, provides that the health care plan shall not modify an enrollee's coverage of a drug during the plan year if the drug has been previously approved for coverage by the plan for a medical condition, the plan's prescribing provider continues to prescribe the drug for the medical condition, and the patient continues to be an enrollee of the health care plan. Provides specific prohibited modifications of drug coverage in the health plan. Provides that the provisions do not prohibit a health care plan from requiring a pharmacist to effect generic substitutions of prescription drugs. Provides that the provisions do not prohibit the addition of prescription drugs to a health care plan's list of covered drugs during the coverage year. Provides that the provisions do not apply to a health care plan as defined in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 or medical assistance under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Provides that interest penalties that may be payable under the Act, as provided under specified Sections of the Illinois Insurance Code, shall be paid from a separate appropriation from each fund for such purpose and for each appropriated agency. Amends the State Budget Law. Provides that for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the budget shall include a separate line item request appropriating moneys to each State agency for estimated costs for each fund under the State Prompt Payment Act and specified Sections of the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the sum of transfers among line item appropriations for an agency in a fiscal year shall not exceed 2% of the aggregate amount appropriated to it within the same treasury fund for, among other objects, late interest penalties under the State Prompt Payment Act and specified Sections of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that if lump sum appropriations are enacted with a separate line item for late interest penalties under the State Prompt Payment Act and the Illinois Insurance Code, the 2% transfer authority shall apply to the aggregate amount of these appropriations. Amends the State Prompt Payment Act to provide that interest penalties that may be payable under the Act and under specified Sections of the Illinois Insurance Code shall be paid from a separate appropriation from each fund for such purpose and for each appropriated agency. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in the short title Section.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Modifies the term "qualified expenses" for the purpose of participant requirements in the use of the College Savings Pool established under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that disenrollment of a Medicaid enrollee from a managed care organization under contract with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall be in accordance with specified federal requirements whenever a contract is terminated between a Medicaid managed care health plan and a primary care provider that results in a disruption to the Medicaid enrollee's provider-beneficiary relationship. Effective immediately.