Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

Creates the Good Samaritan Menstrual Products Act. Prohibits a person, manufacturer, or distributor from being held liable for damages incurred resulting from any illness or disease contracted by the ultimate user or recipient of an apparently usable menstrual product due to the nature, age, condition, or packaging of the menstrual product that the person, manufacturer, or distributor donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to an individual in need of such menstrual product. Prohibits a nonprofit organization from being held liable for damages incurred resulting from any illness or disease contracted by the ultimate user or recipient of an apparently usable menstrual product due to the condition of the menstrual product. Sets forth exceptions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Act. Eliminates the provision that provided for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2025. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Includes "catalytic converter" in the definition of "essential parts". Amends the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Excludes catalytic converter from the definition of "recyclable metals". Requires transactions involving a catalytic converter to include the identification number of the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed and the part number or other identifying number of the catalytic converter that was removed. Provides that, in a transaction involving a catalytic converter, the recyclable metal dealer must also require a copy of the certificate of title or registration showing the seller's ownership in the vehicle. Makes it unlawful for any person to purchase or otherwise acquire a used, detached catalytic converter or any nonferrous part thereof unless specified conditions are met. Provides that a used, detached catalytic converter does not include a catalytic converter that has been tested, certified, and labeled for reuse in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act. Defines terms. Makes technical changes.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that "clinical observation" means the ongoing observation of a patient's medical or mental health condition by a licensed health care professional utilizing a medical skill set while continuing assessment and care. Provides that the EMS Medical Directors on the EMT Training, Recruitment, and Retention Task Force may be active or retired. Provides that an education plan within a resource hospital may include classes performed outside of the region in which the resource hospital is located. Provides that "paramedic" means a person who has successfully completed a course in advanced life support care as approved by the Department of Public Health or accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP), is licensed by the Department, and practices with an Advanced Life Support EMS System. Provides that the Department shall have the authority to adopt rules governing the curriculum, practice, and necessary equipment applicable to emergency medical responders and shall allow curriculum in addition to the National Registry curriculum. Provides that a fee for EMS personnel examination, licensure, and license renewal shall be reasonable. Provides that a lead instructor is permitted to oversee a paramedic with at least 3 years of experience to teach EMT classes in high schools with a licensed teacher. Provides that pass rates for classes taught in high schools shall not adversely impact the lead instructor or affiliated EMS system, resource hospital, or provider. Provides that the Department may not include any additional criteria for approval of a staffing waiver utilizing an EMR other than the criteria outlined. Provides that the EMR pilot program shall not be implemented before Department approval which must be granted upon EMS System Medical Director approval.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires that upon approaching an emergency scene, a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or a construction or maintenance area or zone, a person who drives a vehicle shall, proceeding with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision and leaving a safe distance until safely past the stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or construction or maintenance area or zone. Provides that if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe, proceeding with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision, or until safely past the construction or maintenance area or zone.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Repeals the Electrologist Licensing Act on January 1, 2029 (rather than January 1, 2024). Amends the Electrologist Licensing Act. Provides that all applicants and licensees shall: (1) provide a valid physical address and email address to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which shall serve as the address of record and email address of record, respectively, at the time of applicant for licensure or renewal of a license; and (2) inform the Department of any change of address of record or email address of record within 14 days. Provides that the changes must be made either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department through the Department's licensure maintenance unit. Provides that every application for an original license under this Act shall include the applicant's social security number or individual taxpayer identification number. Provides that specified written notices may be served electronically to the licensee's email address of record. Provides that in any case involving the refusal to issue or renew a license, a copy of the hearing officer's report shall be served upon the respondent by the Secretary (rather than the Department). Makes corresponding changes. Provisions amending the Regulatory Sunset Act are effective immediately.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Adds definitions. Provides that the minimum ratio for each provider type shall be no less than any such ratio established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that the maximum travel time and distance standards and appointment wait time standards shall be no greater than any such standards established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Makes changes to provisions concerning network adequacy, notice of nonrenewal or termination, transition of services, network transparency, administration and enforcement, provider requirements, and provider directory information. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Makes changes to provisions concerning notice of nonrenewal or termination and transition of services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Department of Insurance to adopt emergency rules implementing federal standards for provider ratios, time and distance, or appointment wait times when such standards apply to health insurance coverage regulated by the Department of Insurance and are more stringent than the State standards extant at the time the final federal standards are published. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a minor technical update to the law governing the occupation tax for cigarette machine operators. Specifically, it amends the official short title of the existing Cigarette Machine Operators' Occupation Tax Act. The legislation does not change tax rates, add new fees, or alter the rules for who must pay the tax. It was signed into law and became effective on July 1, 2024, primarily to correct the name of the statute.

Amends various Acts concerning various State programs, State funds, and State fund transfers. Deletes obsolete language and makes technical changes. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a technical correction to the Educational Opportunity for Military Children Act by updating the short title. The amendment clarifies the specific types of educator licenses required for teachers to receive certain benefits under the program. By revising the text to include "Professional Educator License" alongside other career and technical endorsements, the law ensures precise definitions for eligible staff. This change affects military children's education support programs by aligning the legal language with current teacher certification standards. The update was approved by the Governor and became effective on July 1, 2024.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that the term "special educational facilities and services" includes private special schools (instead of special schools) and separate public special education day schools. Provides that if a child has been placed in a separate public special education day school, a school district making tuition payments in excess of $4,500 shall be responsible for an amount in excess of $4,500 equal to 2 times the district's per capita tuition charge and shall be eligible for reimbursement from the State for the amount of such payments actually made in excess of 2 times the district's per capita tuition charge for students not receiving special education services. Requires a certification and finding to be made for reimbursement of a school district of the amount paid for tuition of a child attending a public special education facility.