Sen. Doris Turner

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Adds (in addition to other criteria) that if a resident fails to pay or has a late payment and the facility follows the federal discharge and transfer requirements, including the issuance of a notice of facility-initiated discharge, then a facility that participates in the Medical Assistance Program may refuse to retain as a resident any person who resides in a part of the facility that does not participate in the Medical Assistance Program and who is unable to pay for his or her care in the facility without medical assistance.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Makes changes to "brownfield site photovoltaic project" definition. Deletes provision that requires the Agency to develop a method to optimize procurement of the renewable energy credits from proposed utility-scale projects that are located in communities eligible to receive grants pursuant to the Energy Community Reinvestment Act. Provides criteria for the Agency to use to rank the bids for evaluation and selection for the project. Provides that if a project meets one or more of the criteria the Agency shall apply the bid price adjustment two times in ranking and evaluating the bid submitted for the project. Outlines the intent of the General Assembly in enacting the provision. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for the purpose of removing barriers to the timely treatment of serious mental illnesses, prior authorization mandates and utilization management controls shall not be imposed under the fee-for-service and managed care medical assistance programs on any FDA-approved prescription drug that is recognized by a generally accepted standard medical reference as effective in the treatment of conditions specified in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. Provides that the following shall be permitted for prescription drugs covered under the amendatory Act: (i) clinically appropriate drug utilization review (DUR) edits, including, but not limited to, drug-to-drug, drug-age, and drug-dose; (ii) generic drug substitution if a generic drug is available for the prescribed medication in the same dosage and formulation; and (iii) any utilization management control that is necessary for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to comply with any current consent decrees or federal waivers. Defines "serious mental illness".

Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Provides that the Attorney General shall have authority to enforce the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to make a confirming change. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Amends the Pupils Article of the School Code. In provisions regarding compulsory school age, provides that a student absent from a school in which the student is regularly enrolled shall be considered as being in attendance if the reason for such absence is to participate in scheduled Future Farmers of America Organization and 4-H programs as part of organized competitions or exhibitions. Provides that the student and parent or legal guardian shall be responsible for obtaining assignments missed while the student was participating in such an activity from the student's teacher.

Amends the Telephone Solicitations Act. Provides that a person, business, or organization may not spoof a caller's information or otherwise misrepresent the origin of a telemarketing call unless the person, business, or organization has the right to use the name and phone number displayed. Requires telephone solicitations placed in a manner other than by a live operator to immediately disclose their identity and the purpose of the call and prompt the recipient of the call to consent to the solicitation. Defines terms.

Amends the Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provide that if a caseworker of the Department of Children and Family Services, including an intact family specialist or placement specialist, believes that a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult of a child has made a credible threat of violence against the caseworker during a prior home visit, the caseworker may (i) request that local law enforcement officers accompany the caseworker on any subsequent home visits for that child or (ii) request that the Department reassign the child's case to another caseworker. Requires law enforcement officers to, upon request, make all reasonable efforts to assist the caseworker in receiving law enforcement assistance from any other police jurisdiction that is outside the accompanying officers' primary jurisdiction.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2024, the exclusion amount shall be the applicable exclusion amount calculated under Section 2010 of the Internal Revenue Code, including any deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (currently, the exclusion amount for Illinois estate tax purposes is $4,000,000). Effective immediately.

Amends the State Universities Civil Service Act. Provides that nothing in the Act or any rules adopted under the Act prevents the parties to a collective bargaining agreement subject to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act from agreeing to a provision that enhances employee rights.