Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Adds infection preventionists, minimum data set assessment nurses, other social workers, certified nursing assistant interns, and medication aides to the list of direct care staff used to compute staff to resident ratios. Provides that, except as otherwise provided by law, 100% of the hours worked by the specified staff shall be counted toward the staff to resident ratio. Provides that no monetary penalties shall be imposed unless the variance between a facility's minimum staffing ratios and the Department of Public Health's computations exceeds 20%. Removes a provision prohibiting waiver of a monetary penalty for non-compliance. In provisions concerning reporting requirements for facilities that violate the minimum staffing requirements, provides that the facility must have a variance that exceeds 20% of the requirements. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that certain taxpayers that are primarily engaged in the recycling and melting of steel products and in the manufacturing of new steel wire and rod products may elect to claim the credit under the Act against their withholding tax liability instead of their income tax liability. Effective immediately.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, to file an amendment to the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities that shall include an increase in the rate methodology sufficient to provide for a wage rate of 150% of the statewide, regional, or local minimum wage for services delivered on or after January 1, 2026, for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel who are not subject to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage increases and who work in residential and community day services settings. Provides that for services delivered on or after January 1, 2026, the rates shall include adjustments to employment-related expenses as defined by rule by the Department of Human Services. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules, including emergency rules, to implement the rate increases. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to submit a Title XIX State Plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that shall include an increase in the rate methodology sufficient to provide for a wage rate of 150% of the statewide, regional, or local minimum wage for services delivered on or after January 1, 2026, for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel at ID/DD and MC/DD facilities. Provides that the State Plan amendment shall provide wage increases for all residential non-executive direct care staff. Effective immediately.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall not enter into a contract with a managed care organization that relies on a pharmacy benefit manager that does not do the following: (i) utilize a pharmacy reimbursement methodology of the lesser of national average drug acquisition cost plus a professional dispensing fee as determined by the Department, the wholesale acquisition cost plus a professional dispensing fee as determined by the Department, or the usual and customary charge by the pharmacy; (ii) reimburse for a legally valid claim at a rate not less than the rate in effect at the time the original claim adjudication was submitted at the point of sale; (iii) agree to move to a transparent pass-through pricing model, in which the pharmacy benefit manager discloses the administrative fee as a percentage of the professional dispensing costs to the Department; (iv) agree to not create new pharmacy administration fees and to not increase current fees more than the rate of inflation; and (v) agree to not terminate an existing contract with a pharmacy licensed under the Pharmacy Practice Act for the sole reason of the additional professional dispensing fee authorized under item (i). Requires each pharmacy benefit manager that receives reimbursement for medical services, either directly or through a Medicaid managed care health plan, to submit by January 15, 2027, and each January 15 thereafter, certain data and information to the Department for the previous fiscal year, including: (1) the total number of prescriptions that were dispensed; (2) the aggregate wholesale acquisition cost for each drug on its formulary; (3) the aggregate amount of rebates, discounts, and price concessions that the pharmacy benefit manager received for each drug on its formulary; (4) the aggregate amount of administrative fees that the pharmacy benefit manager received from all pharmaceutical manufacturers; and (5) any other information considered necessary by the Department. Requires the Department to submit such data and information to the General Assembly and to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Provides that such information is confidential and not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish reimbursement rates that build toward livable wages for front-line personnel in residential and day programs and service coordination agencies serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Provides that for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, subject to federal approval, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after July 1, 2025 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $2.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in effect on June 30, 2025 for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support professionals, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined, by rule, by the Department. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for ID/DD facilities and MC/DD facilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after July 1, 2025, shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $2.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in effect on June 30, 2025 for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support professionals, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined, by rule, by the Department. Requires the same increase for front-line personnel employed at community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.
Amends the Human Services Act. Provides for grants to food banks for venison. Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides for an optional Hunter Food Bank Stamp to have hunters help end hunger in Illinois. In a provision regarding a separate harvest period for deer, directs the Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules that will cause a county to be open for hunting during the special harvest period if more than 5 deer removal permit requests were made in the county in the preceding year. Provides that, at the request of a landowner or tenant, the Department shall transfer to that individual an unused firearm deer permit from the regular season for the taking of deer to be used during the separate harvest period to hunt upon the individual's land only and for the taking of antlerless deer only, and that transferred permit shall be transferable in the same manner as permits under certain provisions regarding special deer, turkey, and combination hunting licenses for landowners. In a provision regarding authority to kill wildlife responsible for damage, provides that the holder of a deer removal permit issued by the Department may transfer the permit to any individual meeting certain requirements. Provides that the Department shall make publicly available on its website applications for deer removal permits and instructions on how to apply for those permits. Provides that the Department shall acknowledge receipt of each application for a deer removal permit within one business day, complete any investigation required, and issue or deny the requested deer removal permit within 5 business days. Provides that, in the event of failure to deny an application for a deer removal permit within 5 business days, the application shall be deemed approved. Provides that a deer removal permit issued by the Department is valid from the date of its issuance until December 31 of the same calendar year. Makes technical changes. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act.
Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2027 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits an individual from performing surgical technology services if the individual is acting within the scope of the individual's license or registration or is a student or intern under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider.
Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Adds and modifies definitions of terms. Authorizes the Illinois Power Agency to conduct competitive solicitations to procure contracted energy storage credits sufficient to achieve certain energy storage standards; to request, review, and accept proposals; to execute contracts; and to procure energy storage credits. Requires the Agency to develop a storage procurement plan. Authorizes the Agency to develop and implement a firm energy resource procurement plan. Makes other changes. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires each electric utility to demonstrate sufficient resources devoted to interconnection. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to perform specified actions regarding interconnection within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. In a provision regarding virtual power plant programs, requires each electric utility serving more than 300,000 customers as of January 1, 2023 to propose an initial tariff within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. In a provision regarding peak remediation programs, requires each electric utility serving more than 300,000 retail customers as of January 1, 2023 to propose an initial tariff within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the Commission to establish a working group with relevant stakeholders to develop a stand-alone energy storage distribution deployment program. Provides that, beginning on June 1, 2024, the electric utility shall be entitled to recover through tariffed charges all of the costs associated with the purchase of energy storage credits to meet specified energy storage standards. Requires the Agency to prepare an energy storage resources procurement plan for the procurement of energy storage credits. Requires the Commission to establish an Office of Interconnection and Renewable Development, which shall (i) actively seek input from all interested parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote development and remove barriers to development of the projects and devices, and (ii) monitor interconnection between electric utilities and applicants for interconnection and interconnection customers. Sets forth reporting requirements for the Office. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In provisions concerning the Community Care Program, provides that, subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2026, rates for in-home services shall be increased to $32.75 to sustain a minimum wage of $20 per hour for direct service workers. As a condition of their eligibility for the $32.75 in-home services rate, requires in-home services providers to (i) certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers and (ii) submit cost reports. Provides that fringe benefits shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases. Provides that beginning January 1, 2028, the Department shall ensure that each in-home service provider spends a minimum of 80% of total payments the provider receives for homecare aide services it furnishes under the Community Care Program on total compensation for direct service workers who furnish those services. Requires the Department to adopt rules on financial reporting and minimum direct service worker costs. Authorizes the Department to sanction a provider that fails to meet the requirements of the amendatory Act. Defines terms.
Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that if an open meeting of a public body that is a licensing board authorized by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is held simultaneously at one of its offices and one or more other locations in a public building, which may include other of its offices, through an interactive video conference and the public body provides public notice and public access as required under the Act for all locations, then members physically present in those locations all count towards determining a quorum.