Sen. Dave Koehler

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that through June 30, 2023 (instead of June 30, 2021), 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.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, changes the ending date of the employment from no later than June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2026. Removes language requiring a school to advertise its vacancies in the subject shortage area in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the school is located. Provides that certain requirements related to advertising the vacancy in the subject shortage area and searching for teachers legally qualified to fill those vacancies through the Illinois Education Job Bank shall not apply to a school district replacing a teacher who is unable to continue employment with the school district because of illness, injury, or disability after being hired by a school district. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, changes the ending date of the employment from no later than June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2024 (rather than June 30, 2026). Provides that before hiring a teacher under the provisions, the school district must post all vacancies on the school district's website and list the vacancy in an online job portal or database. Provides that a school district replacing a teacher who is unable to continue employment with the school district because of documented illness, injury, or disability that occurred after being hired by a school district shall be exempt from the job-posting requirements for 90 school days. Requires the school district to comply with the job-posting requirements on an ongoing basis. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code and the Illinois School Student Records Act. In provisions concerning the suspension or expulsion of a pupil, adds references to guardians (rather than just parents). Provides that a student may disclose mitigating factors, such as the student's status as a parent, expectant parent, or victim of domestic or sexual violence, in suspension or expulsion hearings. Provides that home instruction or correspondence courses must be made available to students who are unable to attend school because of pregnancy-related conditions, parenting obligations related to the health of a child, or health and safety concerns arising from domestic or sexual violence. Includes attendance at a medical or therapeutic appointment and appointments with a victim services provider as a valid cause for absence from school. Adds provisions to the Code concerning children and students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence, the purpose of which is to ensure that Illinois schools have policies, procedures, and protocols in place that ensure children and students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence are identified by schools in a manner respectful of their privacy and safety, treated with dignity and regard, and provided the protection, instruction, and related accommodations and services necessary to enable them to meet State educational standards and successfully attain a school diploma. Makes changes to the Chicago School District Article of the School Code concerning the transfer of students. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/26A-55 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Provides that the complainant and respondent and any named perpetrator directly impacted by the results of the complaint resolution procedure are entitled to simultaneous written notification of the results of the complaint resolution procedure within 10 business days (instead of 7 calendar days) after a decision or sooner if required by State or federal law or district policy. Provides that the complainant and respondent and any perpetrators directly impacted by the results of the complaint resolution procedure must receive the appeal decision, in writing, within 10 business days but in no case more than 15 business days (rather than within 7 calendar days but in no case more than 14 calendar days) after the conclusion of the review of findings or remedies or sooner if required by State or federal law. Removes a provision concerning enforcement; makes corresponding changes. Corrects typographical errors. Effective July 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill as amended by House Amendment 1 with the following change. Adds one member who represents an association representing rural school superintendents to the Ensuring Success in School Task Force. Effective July 1, 2022. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (IL State Board of Education) As amended by HA 1, HB 3223 will have a fiscal impact of$139,652.04 annually to the State Board of Education. The amendment will have an unknown fiscal impact on school districts_ State Mandates Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State Mandate. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code and the Illinois School Student Records Act. In provisions concerning the suspension or expulsion of a pupil, adds references to guardians (rather than just parents). Provides that a student may disclose mitigating factors, such as the student's status as a parent, expectant parent, or victim of domestic or sexual violence, in suspension or expulsion hearings. Sets forth provisions concerning suspension and expulsion hearings. Provides that home instruction or correspondence courses must be made available to students who are unable to attend school because of pregnancy-related conditions, parenting obligations related to the health of a child, or health and safety concerns arising from domestic or sexual violence. Includes attendance at a medical or therapeutic appointment and appointments with a victim services provider as a valid cause for absence from school. Adds provisions to the Code concerning children and students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence, the purpose of which is to ensure that Illinois schools have policies, procedures, and protocols in place that ensure children and students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence are identified by schools in a manner respectful of their privacy and safety, treated with dignity and regard, and provided the protection, instruction, and related accommodations and services necessary to enable them to meet State educational standards and successfully attain a school diploma. Creates the Ensuring Success in School Task Force. Sets forth provisions concerning complaint resolution procedures and confidentiality. Makes changes to the Chicago School District Article of the School Code concerning the transfer of students. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Makes a conforming change to the Charter Schools Law. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2023. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the engrossed bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1 with the following changes. Repeals the Section concerning the Ensuring Success in School Task Force on December 1, 2025 (instead of December 1, 2023). Amends the provisions concerning confidentiality. Requires each school district to adopt and ensure that the school has and implements a confidentiality policy regarding students. Provides that information about a student concerning whether the student has obtained assistance, support, or services (rather than only assistance or services) must be kept in strictest of confidence, except if the disclosure is permitted under (rather than in conflict with) certain State or federal laws or consented to in writing by the student or the student's parent or guardian. Provides that information about students may not be disclosed to any other individual outside of the district (rather than may not be disclosed to any other individual). With regard to domestic or sexual violence, provides that except as permitted (rather than except as required) under State or federal law, a school official may contact (instead of must not contact) the person named to be the perpetrator if the school official determines that the school official has an obligation to do so based on safety concerns or threats to the community, including the victim. Provides that a school district must not contact a person named by a student or the student's parent or guardian without providing prior written notice to the student or the student's parent or guardian (rather than without obtaining written permission from the student or the student's parent or guardian). Removes provisions requiring a school district to comply with the confidentiality provisions no later than July 1, 2024. Effective July 1, 2025.

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 the State Designations Act. Provides that Penicillium chrysogenum NRRL 1951 is designated the official State microbe of the State of Illinois. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with changes. Provides that Penicillium rubens (rather than chrysogenum) NRRL 1951 is designated the official State microbe of the State of Illinois.

Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Requires health insurance carriers that provide coverage for prescription drugs to ensure that, within service areas and levels of coverage specified by federal law, at least half of individual and group plans meet one or more of the following criteria: apply a pre-deductible and flat-dollar copayment structure to the entire drug benefit, limit a beneficiary's monthly out-of-pocket financial responsibility for prescription drugs to a specified amount, or limit a beneficiary's annual out-of-pocket financial responsibility for prescription drugs to a specified amount. Provides that all plans for prescription drugs offered under the amendatory Act must be clearly and appropriately named, marketed in the same manner as other plans offered by the health insurance carrier, and offered for purchase to any individual and group plan sponsor. Effective January 1, 2022. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. In provisions concerning individual health plans that provide coverage for prescription drugs, provides that beginning January 1, 2023, health insurance carriers shall ensure that at least 10% of individual health care plans offered in each applicable service area apply a flat-dollar copayment structure to the entire drug benefit; and beginning January 1, 2024, health insurance carriers shall ensure that at least 25% of individual health care plans offered in each applicable service area apply a flat-dollar copayment structure to the entire drug benefit. In provisions concerning group health plans that provide coverage for prescription drugs, provides that beginning January 1, 2023, health insurance carriers shall offer at least one group health plan in each applicable service area that applies a flat-dollar copayment structure to the entire drug benefit; and beginning January 1, 2024, health insurance carriers shall offer at least 2 group health plans in each applicable service area that apply a flat-dollar copayment structure to the entire drug benefit. Provides that the flat-dollar copayment structure for prescription drugs must be applied pre-deductible and be reasonably graduated and proportionately related in all tier levels such that the copayment structure as a whole does not discriminate against or discourage the enrollment of individuals with significant health care needs. Requires the health insurance carriers to clearly and appropriately name the plans to aid in individual or group plan selection. Requires the health insurance carriers to market the plans in the same manner as their other plans. Requires the Department of Insurance to adopt rules necessary to implement and enforce the provisions. Effective January 1, 2023.

Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 120 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the term "selling price" no longer includes the value of traded-in motor vehicles. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. In a Section concerning the use tax on motor vehicles, makes changes concerning the amount of the tax. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 625 ILCS 5/1-216.5 new 625 ILCS 5/3-819 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-819 625 ILCS 5/3-821 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-821 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2022, the term "selling price" no longer includes the value of traded-in motor vehicles. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "utility trailer". Provides for a flat weight trailer tax of $36 for utility trailers. Decreases the flat weight tax for Class TA trailers from $118 to $36. Increases the certificate of title fee for vehicles other than all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, motor homes, mini motor homes, and van campers from $150 to $155 and provides that the additional fee amount shall be deposited into the Road Fund. In a Section concerning the use tax on motor vehicles, makes changes concerning the amount of the tax. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Removes language including only trailers weighing between 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds within the TA trailer class, and restores language including all trailers weighing 3,000 pounds and less within the TA trailer class.

Creates the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Legislation Task Force Act. Creates the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Legislation Task Force. Adds provisions governing Task Force membership, duties, powers, and compensation. Provides that the Task Force shall meet no less than once a month beginning in July 2021. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2021. Dissolves the Task Force upon the filing of the report. Provides that the Act is repealed on January 1, 2023. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: New Act Adds reference to: 110 ILCS 305/120 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in consultation with an intergovernmental advisory committee, must file a report on potential for carbon capture, utilization, and storage as a clean energy technology throughout Illinois with the Governor and General Assembly no later than December 31, 2022. Provides that the report must provide an assessment of Illinois subsurface storage resources, state of readiness, and provide recommendations for policy and regulatory needs at the State level based on its findings. Provides that in developing the report, the Prairie Research Institute shall form an advisory committee and provides for membership of the committee. Provides that the Prairie Research Institute shall also engage with interested stakeholders throughout the State to gain insights into socio-economic perspectives from environmental justice organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations, industry, landowners, farm bureaus, manufacturing, labor unions, and others. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2023. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: New Act Adds reference to: 110 ILCS 305/120 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in consultation with an intergovernmental advisory committee, must file a report on potential for carbon capture, utilization, and storage as a climate mitigation technology throughout Illinois with the Governor and General Assembly no later than December 31, 2022. Provides that the report must provide an assessment of Illinois subsurface storage resources, state of readiness, and provide recommendations for policy and regulatory needs at the State level based on its findings. Provides that in developing the report, the Prairie Research Institute shall form an advisory committee and provides for membership of the committee. Provides that the Prairie Research Institute shall also engage with interested stakeholders throughout the State to gain insights into socio-economic perspectives from environmental justice organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations, industry, landowners, farm bureaus, manufacturing, labor unions, and others. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2023. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 In provisions amending the University of Illinois Act, provides that the report on the potential for carbon capture, utilization, and storage shall provide an assessment of Illinois subsurface storage resources, a description of existing and selected subsurface storage projects, and best practices for carbon storage. Provides that additionally, the report shall provide recommendations for policy and regulatory needs at the State level based on its findings (rather than the report must provide an assessment of Illinois subsurface storage resources, state of readiness, and provide recommendations for policy and regulatory needs at the State level based on its findings).

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the passenger of a motorcycle to be capable of resting a foot on the footrest while the motorcycle is in motion.

Creates the High-Speed Railway Commission Act. Prescribes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall create a statewide plan for a high-speed rail line and feeder network connecting St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois that includes current existing Amtrak and Metra services, connects the cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria, and Decatur, and uses inter-city bus service to coordinate with the rail line. Provides that the Commission shall conduct a ridership study and shall make findings and recommendations concerning a governance structure, the frequency of service, and implementation of the plan. Provides that the Commission shall report to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than December 31 of each year. Provides that the Department of Transportation shall provide administrative support to the Commission. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2027. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds language including representatives from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (rather than the Municipal Planning Organization), the Region 1 Planning Council, the McLean County Regional Planning Commission, and the East-West Gateway Council of Governments as members of the High-Speed Railway Commission.