Sen. Linda Holmes

Amends the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Provides that any condition or impairment of health of a firefighter, emergency medical technician, or paramedic that results directly or indirectly from Parkinson's disease resulting in any disability to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's firefighting, EMT, or paramedic employment and shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment, except as otherwise specified. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes changes concerning the bonus depreciation deduction for property acquired by a small business. Effective immediately.

Amends the Financial Reporting Standards Board Act. Provides that if a State agency does not have an Internal Auditor, it must either use an Internal Auditor from another State Agency or contract with an independent Certified Internal Auditor or an independent registered or licensed Certified Public Accountant to perform the audit. Provides that all internal audit report materials shall be considered exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that the Financial Reporting Standards Board shall not disclose any confidential information in its reports to the Comptroller and the Governor. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that neither a group health plan nor an accident and health insurer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall discriminate with respect to participation under the plan or coverage against any health care provider who is acting within the scope of that provider's license or certification under applicable State law.

Amends the Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act. Provides that a manufacturer may count the total weight of a cathode ray tube device, prior to processing, towards its goal under a specified provision if all recyclable components are removed from the device and the cathode ray tube glass is managed in a manner that complies with all Illinois Environmental Protection Agency regulations for handling, treatment, and disposition of cathode ray tubes. Provides that, for specified categories of electronic devices, each manufacturer shall recycle or reuse at least 80% (was at least 50%) of the total weight of the electronic devices that the manufacturer sold in that category in Illinois during the calendar year 2 years before the applicable program year. Provides that a registered recycler or a refurbisher of CEDs and EEDs for a manufacturer obligated to meet goals may not charge individual consumers or units of local government acting as collectors a fee to recycle or refurbish CEDs and EEDs, unless the recycler or refurbisher provides (i) a financial incentive, such as a coupon, that is of greater or equal value to the fee being charged or (ii) premium service, such as curbside collection, home pick-up, drop-off locations, or a similar methods of collection. Provides that, in program year 2015, and each year thereafter, if the total weight of CEDs and EEDs recycled or processed for reuse by the manufacturer is less than 100% of the manufacturer's individual recycling or reuse goal set forth in a specified provision of the Act, the manufacturer shall pay a penalty equal to the product of (i) $0.70 per pound; multiplied by (ii) the difference between the manufacturer's individual recycling or reuse goal and the total weight of CEDs and EEDs recycled or processed for reuse by the manufacturer during the program year. Effective immediately.

Creates the Higher Education Research of Dogs or Cats Reporting Requirement Act. Provides that research facilities that are institutions of higher education which receive public funds shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding: (1) an identification of the species and the approximate number of dogs or cats to be used; (2) a rationale for involving dogs or cats and the appropriateness of the species and numbers of dogs or cats to be used; (3) a complete description of the proposed use of the dogs or cats; (4) a description of procedures designed to assure that discomfort and pain to the dogs or cats will be limited to that which is unavoidable for the conduct of scientifically valuable research, including a provision for the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs when indicated and appropriate to minimize discomfort and pain to the dogs or cats; (5) a description of any euthanasia method to be used; (6) financial information related to the research projects, including the identities of any external funding source and funding amounts; and (7) recommendations for legislative action by the General Assembly. Provides that each annual report shall be filed on or before March 1, beginning with calendar year 2017, and shall cover the previous calendar year. Provides that if a research facility fails to submit an annual report as required, a penalty shall be imposed of $100 per day that shall remain delinquent until the annual report is filed. Provides that any funds collected from these penalties shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that on and after the effective date of the amendatory Act, no insurer that amends, delivers, issues, or renews a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a qualified health plan offered through the health insurance marketplace shall: (1) provide or refer to a coverage determination as medically necessary in any publication, policy, contract or agreement, or explanation of benefits made by the policy or plan, or (2) provide or state in any way that treatment or services recommended by the insured or enrollees treating, consulting, ordering, or attending physician or health care provider is not medically necessary, and that doing so is an unfair and deceptive practice under the Code. Provides that nothing shall prohibit a health care benefit determination with respect to whether treatment or services are covered under the policy or plan. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to make similar changes for health care plans. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, Counties Code, Illinois Municipal Code, School Code, Health Maintenance Organization Act, Limited Health Service Organization Act, Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and Illinois Public Aid Code to make conforming changes.

Urges school districts around the State of Illinois to look to the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School as a replicable model for education and to take similar actions in establishing math and science partnership schools.

Recognizes the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School on the campus of Aurora University as a replicable model for education throughout the State of Illinois.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a health plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs shall ensure that any required copayment or coinsurance applicable to drugs on a specialty tier does not exceed $100 per month for up to a 30-day supply of any single drug and a beneficiary's annual out-of-pocket expenditures for prescription drugs are limited to no more than fifty percent of the dollar amounts in effect under specified provisions of the federal Patient Protection Affordable Care Act. Provides that a health plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs and uses a tiered formulary shall implement an exceptions process that allows enrollees to request an exception to the tiered cost-sharing structure. Provides that a health plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs shall not place all drugs in a given class on a specialty tier. Effective January 1, 2016.