Sen. Andrew Chesney

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that an owner or occupant seeking consent from a highway authority to construct ditches, drains, track, rails, poles, wires, pipe line or other equipment along any highway or road may appeal the authority's decision to deny consent to the county superintendent of highways by filing an appeal in the office of the district clerk within 10 days after receiving the written explanation of the decision. Provides that the county superintendent shall set a date for hearing a complaint and provide notice of the hearing to all persons interested. Provides that if the county superintendent of highways finds that a petition for ingress or egress is not inconsistent with public safety, the commissioner shall approve the petition. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that, in the case of township roads, the county superintendent of highways may either grant consent for construction or deny the application. Provides that the county superintendent of highways shall provide written confirmation, citing the basis of the decision, to both the highway commissioner and the applicant.

Creates the Agricultural Experiences Act. Provides that licenses are not required for anyone trying to provide an "agricultural experience" which is defined as any agriculture-related activity, as a secondary use in conjunction with agricultural production, on a farm which activity is open to the public with the intended purpose of promoting or educating the public about agriculture, agricultural practices, agricultural activities, or agricultural products.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the committee of agriculturalists established to represent the various and diverse areas of the agricultural industry in Illinois shall, among other duties, advise the State Board of Education on the administration of the agricultural education line item appropriation and agency rulemaking that affects agricultural education educators. Sets forth changes in the composition of the committee's membership.

Amends the Local Mass Transit District Act. Provides that, on January 1, 2022, the Chicago South Suburban Mass Transit District is discontinued. Includes procedures for discontinuance, including transfer of: all funds remaining after winding up the District to specified municipalities that created the District; and parking lots and related facilities and equipment to the municipality in which the parking lot is located. Effective January 1, 2022.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that an expanded-use antique vehicle may be driven on the highways for purposes other than travel to and from an antique auto show or an exhibition or for servicing or demonstration from March 1 through November 30 (instead of from April 1 through October 31). Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Corrects a semantic error.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows the Secretary of State to provide a disabilities motor decal or device to an expectant mother during her third trimester. Provides that a decal or device provided to an expectant mother shall be valid for no more than 90 days, and shall clearly set forth the date that the decal or device expires. Provides that a decal or device shall be issued only upon a showing by adequate documentation that the expectant mother has entered her third trimester.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. In provisions concerning persons authorized to have access to reports of child abuse or neglect, provides that State's Attorneys are authorized to receive unfounded reports for the purposes of screening and prosecuting court petitions making an allegation of abuse or neglect relating to the same child, a sibling of the child involving the same perpetrator, or a child or perpetrator in the same household as the child for whom the petition is being filed. Provides that parties to juvenile court proceedings are entitled to receive copies of unfounded reports regarding the same child, a sibling of the child, or a child or perpetrator in the same household as the child, including a household from which a child was removed or into which a child may be placed for purposes of certain types of juvenile court hearings. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to notify parties of the final finding on a report of alleged abuse or neglect within 5 days after the Department classifies the report. Provides that a court shall not terminate wardship if there is a pending investigation involving any person acting in a caretaker role in the minor's household, unless the court makes written factual findings that, despite the pending investigation, there is no risk of abuse or neglect to the minor, that good cause exists to terminate wardship, and it is in the minor's best interest to terminate wardship. Effective upon becoming law, except some provisions take effect January 1, 2022. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Further amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act by providing that parties to juvenile court proceedings are entitled to receive copies of unfounded reports regarding the same child, a sibling of the child, the same perpetrator, or a child or perpetrator in the same household as the child for purposes of certain types of juvenile court hearings (rather than parties to juvenile court proceedings are entitled to receive copies of unfounded reports regarding the same child, a sibling of the child, or a child or perpetrator in the same household as the child, including a household from which a child was removed or into which a child may be placed, for purposes of certain types of juvenile court hearings). Makes revisions to language in the introduced bill concerning the admissibility of unfounded reports in certain judicial proceedings and hearings. Further amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. In a provision requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to notify parties of its final finding in an abuse or neglect report, requires the Department to notify the parties within 10 days (rather than 5 days) after the abuse or neglect report is classified by the Department. Removes language requiring the Department to provide the parties with copies of the abuse or neglect report. In a provision concerning the duration of wardship, provides that to terminate wardship, the court shall consider a pending investigation in accordance with the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, if any, involving any person acting in a caretaker role in the minor's household, and make written factual findings that, despite the pending investigation, there is no risk of abuse or neglect to the minor, and it is in the minor's best interest to terminate wardship. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 705 ILCS 405/2-8.1 new 705 ILCS 405/2-31 from Ch. 37, par. 802-31 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Further amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act by providing that parties to juvenile court proceedings are entitled to receive copies of unfounded reports regarding the same child, a sibling of the child, the same perpetrator, or a child or perpetrator in the same household as the child for purposes of certain types of juvenile court hearings (rather than parties to juvenile court proceedings are entitled to receive copies of unfounded reports regarding the same child, a sibling of the child, or a child or perpetrator in the same household as the child, including a household from which a child was removed or into which a child may be placed, for purposes of certain types of juvenile court hearings). Makes revisions to language in the introduced bill concerning the admissibility of unfounded reports in certain judicial proceedings and hearings. Removes the amendatory changes made to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 in the introduced bill. Changes the effective date to immediate.

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. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Changes references from "utilization review organization" to "health insurance issuer" or "health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization". Provides that a health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization must ensure that all adverse determinations are made by a physician when the request is by a physician or a representative of a physician. Provides that a health insurance issuer shall periodically review its prior authorization requirements and consider removal of prior authorization requirements in specified circumstances (rather than a utilization review organization shall not require prior authorization in specified circumstances). In provisions concerning length of prior authorization approval, provides that a prior authorization approval shall be valid for the lesser of 12 months after the date the health care professional or health care provider receives the prior authorization approval or the length of treatment as determined by the patient's health care professional. In provisions concerning clinical review criteria of prior authorization requirements, removes language that provides that a utilization review organization shall seek input from actively practicing physicians representing major areas of the specialty who are not employees of the utilization review organization or consultants to the utilization review organization before establishing or substantially or materially altering written clinical review criteria. Removes language that provides that a utilization review organization shall not deny prior authorization of a health care service solely based on the grounds that a health care professional or health care provider judges a service, product, or procedure is medically appropriate for his or her patient even if it has not been formally approved for the specific condition being treated. In provisions concerning statistics that shall be made available regarding prior authorization approvals and denials, removes specified categories of information. In provisions concerning requirements applicable to the physician who can review consultations and appeals, removes language that provides that the physician must not be employed by a utilization review organization, be under contract with the utilization review organization other than to participate in one or more of the utilization review organization's health care professional networks or to perform reviews of appeals, or otherwise have any financial interest in the outcome of the appeal. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 134/65 Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/155.36 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: In the Prior Authorization Reform Act, deletes a Section concerning obligations with respect to prior authorization concerning emergency health care services, and makes changes in provisions governing applicability; definitions; disclosure and review of prior authorization requirements; obligations with respect to prior authorizations; personnel qualified to make adverse determinations of a prior authorization request; adverse determinations; review of appeals; denials; length of prior authorization approval; continuity of care; effect of failure to comply with the Act; and administration and enforcement. Makes further changes in the Illinois Insurance Code in a Section concerning obligations under the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Deletes changes made to the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act in a Section concerning emergency services prior to stabilization. Effective January 1, 2022.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. With respect to the high school coursework that a person must satisfactorily complete for university admission, adds agricultural sciences as a course option for the science category and agricultural education as a course option for the electives category. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill, but changes references from vocational education to career and technical education.

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that a person or company advertising veterans' benefits appeal services must conspicuously disclose in the advertisement that such services are also offered at no cost by county veterans service officers. Provides that a person who provides veterans' benefits services in exchange for compensation shall (i) provide a written disclosure statement to each client or prospective client and (ii) obtain the client's signature on a written disclosure statement containing an attestation by the client that the client has read and understands the written disclosure statement. Directs the Department of Veterans' Affairs to investigate alleged violations and to submit the results of any investigation to the Office of the Attorney General if the Department concludes that a violation has occurred. Provides that if, upon review, the Attorney General decides to file a complaint, the Attorney General must do so within 90 days of receiving the results of the Department's investigation. Imposes a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each violation of the amendatory Act. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 2805/2 20 ILCS 2805/39 new Adds reference to: 815 ILCS 505/2WWW new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Requires persons providing veteran or military benefit services to make disclosures that the benefits are available without charge. Provides that it is an unlawful practice under that Act to fail to make the required disclosure, fail to comply with fiduciary responsibilities under federal law, and to charge fees in violation of federal law.