Sen. Lakesia Collins

Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that the Act applies to the program of group health benefits under the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Provides that a health insurance issuer shall not require prior authorization: where a medication is prescribed for a chronic condition, long-term condition, or mental health condition, has been prescribed for 6 months or more, or is a treatment for the clinical indication as supported by peer-reviewed medical publications; or for patients currently managed with an established treatment regimen. Removes language requiring a health insurance issuer to periodically review its prior authorization requirements and consider removal of prior authorization requirements under certain circumstances. Makes a conforming change. Effective July 1, 2024.

Expresses strong support for the initiative to reprogram USDA funds allocated to Puerto Rico toward purchasing locally grown items in Puerto Rico. Urges the United States Congress to endorse and implement this initiative in recognition of its potential to foster economic growth, promote sustainability, enhance resilience, and enrich cultural heritage.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require all school districts to undertake a ventilation verification assessment of all mechanical ventilation systems in the school district performed by a certified assessor or a mechanical engineer and shall be based on physical measurements made during the assessment. Provides that if an assessment is performed by a certified assessor, the assessment report shall be reviewed by a mechanical engineer. Provides that the ventilation verification assessment shall verify whether the existing mechanical ventilation system is operating in accordance with design parameters and meets the requirements of any applicable building codes. Provides that the ventilation verification assessment for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system shall follow specified standards. Provides that the verification assessment report from the mechanical engineer shall include appropriate corrective actions needed for the mechanical ventilation system or the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning infrastructure, including installation of appropriate filters, installation of carbon dioxide sensors and additional maintenance, repairs, upgrades, or replacement. Provides that the State Board shall require all school districts to make the appropriate corrective actions identified in the ventilation verification assessment. Sets forth requirements for corrective actions, standards, and verification of work.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Early Childhood Education Act to establish a framework for early childhood education in Illinois. A specific provision within the legislation ensures that the rights, benefits, and employment status of state employees and their agencies remain unchanged by the new act. It explicitly states that the law does not affect existing personnel codes, labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, or pension plans. The bill was signed into law and became effective on June 25, 2024, with some provisions taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Creates the Small Business Truth in Lending Act. Sets forth provisions concerning disclosure requirements for sales-based financing, closed-end commercial financing, open-end commercial financing, factoring transactions, renewal financing, and other forms of financing. Provides that all commercial financing shall include a clear and conspicuous notice on how to file a complaint with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that the Department may adopt rules. Provides that upon a finding by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation that a provider has violated the provisions or rules, the provider shall be ordered to pay the Department a civil penalty for each violation of the provisions or any rule not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, or if a violation is willful, $20,000 for each violation. Sets forth provisions concerning cease and desist orders, injunctions, investigation and examination, civil actions, violations, and registration. Provides that a violation of the provisions constitutes an unlawful practice in violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Defines terms. Makes a conforming change in the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the senior citizens homestead exemption, permanently removes the requirement to reapply for the exemption in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants (currently, that requirement was eliminated only for taxable years 2019 through 2023). In counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, provides that, if the county board passes a resolution removing the requirement to reapply for the exemption, the chief county assessment official shall conduct, by no later than December 31 of the first year of each reassessment cycle, an audit of all senior citizen homestead exemptions granted for the preceding reassessment cycle.

Urges the Illinois Supreme Court and relevant authorities to require, as a consistent part of continuing education, LGBTQ+ and HIV cultural competency education for all attorneys, judges, and courtroom staff in the State of Illinois.

Congratulates the RUSH University System for Health and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on their collaboration in establishing the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center in Chicago to enhance access to the most advanced cancer treatments and to seek to address the persistent inequities in cancer care in Illinois and across the nation.

Amends the Chicago Municipal Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision authorizing certain employees to make a contribution and receive service credit for service with the Chicago Transit Authority or its predecessor, provides that the contribution shall be based on the assumption that the employee's salary throughout all of his or her service with the Chicago Transit Authority or its predecessor was at the rate of the employee's salary at the later of the date of his or her entrance or reentrance into the service as a municipal employee, as applicable (instead of at the date of his or her entrance into the service as a municipal employee). Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Maddy summaryHB 56 is a technical amendment to the Farmer Equity Act that updates the short title of a specific section within the law. This change does not alter the actual rules or requirements for farmers but simply corrects the official name used to reference that part of the legislation. The bill affects the legal documentation of the Farmer Equity Act by ensuring the title is accurate. It is a procedural measure designed to clarify the bill's identity rather than introduce new agricultural policies.