Sen. Patricia Van Pelt

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and support, subject to appropriation, entrepreneurship assistance centers, including the issuance of grants, at career education agencies and not-for-profit corporations. Provides criteria for the selection and designation of centers. Provides requirements for the establishment and operation of each center. Provides requirements for grant applicants. Provides reporting requirements. Defines terms.

Creates the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is authorized to institute the water and sewer assistance program. Provides that any person who is a resident of the State of Illinois and whose household income is not greater than an amount determined annually by the Department may apply for assistance. Provides that in determining the amounts of assistance to be provided to or on behalf of a qualified applicant, the Department shall ensure that the highest amounts of assistance go to households with the greatest need for financial assistance in relation to household income by considering specified factors. Provides that each water or sewer provider shall assess each of its customer accounts a monthly Water and Sewer Assistance Charge to be deposited into the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that specified water or sewer utilities shall be allowed to offer a financial assistance program designed for bill payment assistance for low-income customers in accordance with the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act. Provides that the costs of a financial assistance program offered by a water or sewer utility shall be reimbursed from the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that, in its use of federal funds under the Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may not cause a disproportionate share of those federal funds to benefit customers of water or sewer providers that do not assess the Water and Sewer Assistance Charge. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: In provisions creating the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act, provides that in setting the annual eligibility level to receive financial assistance under the Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may not set a limit higher than the eligibility limit for assistance under the Energy Assistance Act (rather than 150% of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Provides that the process to allow a water or sewer provider to discontinue imposing assessments shall include review by the Illinois Commerce Commission of any water or sewer provider subject to the Public Utilities Act. Removes provisions concerning program eligibility for residents of rental properties. In provisions amending the Public Utilities Act, provides that the Commission shall render its decision within 90 days (rather than 60 days) after receiving a petition from a water or sewer utility to offer a financial assistance program. Removes language requiring the Commission to annually review and reconcile any amounts collected through tariffs to recover the costs of the financial assistance program. Makes corresponding changes.

Amends the Lodging Services Human Trafficking Recognition Training Act. Requires restaurants and truck stops to provide employees with training in the recognition of human trafficking and protocols for reporting observed human trafficking to the appropriate authority.

Amends the Rental Housing Support Program Act. In a provision requiring the Illinois Housing Development Authority to adopt rules concerning grants awarded to local administering agencies to fund rent subsidies for low-income families, provides that the rules must limit eligibility for tenancy in the subsidized rental units to households with gross income that is at or below 40% (rather than 30%) of the family median income for the area in which the grant will be made. In a provision concerning rules on grants awarded to entities for the development of affordable rental housing, provides that the rules must require 50% of the units that are supported by any grant to be set aside for households whose income is at or below 25% (rather than 15%) of the median family income for the area in which the grant will be made. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Rental Housing Support Program Act. Provides that once a tenant has received assistance under the Rental Housing Support Program the tenant shall remain eligible for assistance under the Program until the tenant reaches an income level of 35% of area median family income and will then begin the transition out of the Program, as described in the rules governing the Program. Provides that local administering agencies should (rather than must) include 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom units among those intended to be supported by grants under the Program.

Creates the Human Trafficking Task Force Act. Provides requirements regarding the composition and duties of the task force. Provides that the task force shall provide a report containing specified information to the General Assembly and Governor no later than June 30, 2024. Abolishes the task force and repeals the Act on July 1, 2024. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: adds a statement of findings; and includes additional duties for the Task Force. Effective immediately.

Amends the University of Illinois Hospital Act and the Hospital Licensing Act. Requires hospitals to require an intern, resident, or physician who provides medical services at the hospital to have proper credentials and any required certificates for ongoing training at the time the intern, resident, or physician renews his or her license. Amends the Hospital Report Card Act. Requires hospitals to include in their quarterly reports the number of female patients who have died within the reporting period, the number of female patients who have died of a preventable cause within the reporting period and the number of those preventable deaths that the hospital has otherwise reported within the reporting period, and the number of physicians who were required by the hospital to undergo any amount or type of retraining during the reporting period. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 110 ILCS 330/11 new 210 ILCS 85/10.12 new Adds reference to: 210 ILCS 85/10.4 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that any hospital licensed under the Act or any hospital organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act shall, prior to the granting of any medical staff privileges to an applicant, or renewing a current medical staff member's privileges, request of the Director of Professional Regulation information concerning the proper credentials and required certificates of the applicant. Amends the Hospital Report Card Act. Provides that the quarterly report prepared by individual hospitals shall include (1) the number of female patients who have died within the reporting period and (2) the number of female patients admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and at least one known underlying condition identified by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a condition that increases the risk of mortality from COVID-19 who subsequently died at the hospital within the reporting period. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 210 ILCS 85/10.4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following change: Removes provisions amending the Hospital Licensing Act.

Amends the School Code. Makes changes to provisions regarding youth suicide awareness and prevention. Sets forth some of the characteristics of students at an increased risk of suicide. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Changes the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2022 (rather than effective immediately).

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In a provision concerning home-delivered meal services to Illinois residents who qualify under the federal Older Americans Act, provides that, subject to appropriation, all home-delivered meals shall contain informational fact sheets on diabetes, elder abuse, elder neglect, elder financial exploitation, Social Security benefits, and Medicare. Permits the Department on Aging to enter into agreements with area agencies on aging or Department designees to print and distribute the informational materials to home-delivered meal providers, which shall in turn ensure that an informational fact sheet is included with the first home-delivered meal at the start of a recipient's subscription period and annually thereafter. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Requires the informational fact sheets to be included in all home-delivered meals on a quarterly basis (rather than annually). Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends provisions of the Illinois Act on the Aging concerning home-delivered meal services to Illinois residents who qualify under the federal Older Americans Act. Provides that, on an annual basis, each recipient of home-delivered meals shall receive a fact sheet developed by the Department on Aging with a current list of toll-free numbers to access information on various health conditions, elder abuse, and programs for persons 60 years of age and older. Provides that the fact sheet shall be written in a language that the client understands, if possible. Provides that each recipient of home-delivered meals shall receive updates on any new program for which persons 60 years of age and older may be eligible. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Makes the amendatory changes contained in Senate Amendment No. 1 subject to appropriation.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to prescribe and supervise courses of vocational training and to provide such other services as may be necessary for the vocational rehabilitation (rather than the habilitation and rehabilitation) of persons with one or more disabilities. Requires the Department to cooperate with State and local school authorities and other recognized agencies engaged in vocational rehabilitation services; and to cooperate with the Illinois State Board of Education and other specified entities regarding the education (rather than care and education) of children with one or more disabilities. Requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Governor that contains information on the programs, activities, and funding dedicated to vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and other community services and supports. Requires the Statewide Independent Living Council to develop a State Plan for Independent Living. Makes changes to provisions concerning grant awards to eligible centers for independent living. Repeals provisions regarding community services for persons with visual disabilities at the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education. Amends the Disabilities Services Act of 2003. Repeals provisions regarding a Rapid Reintegration Pilot Program. Amends the School Code. Provides that if a child with a disability might be eligible to receive services from the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education, the school district shall notify the parents, in writing, of the existence of the school and the services provided. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following change: Further amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act by removing a requirement that the Department of Human Services submit an annual report on vocational training programs and services to be filed with the Governor and the General Assembly on or before March 30 each year. Further amends the School Code. Provides that if a child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired or has an orthopedic impairment or physical disability (rather than is diagnosed with an orthopedic impairment or physical disability) and the child might be eligible to receive services from the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, or the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt, the school district shall notify the parents, in writing, of the existence of these schools and the services they provide. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 2330/1 was 20 ILCS 710/1 20 ILCS 2330/6.1 was 20 ILCS 710/6.1 20 ILCS 2330/7 was 20 ILCS 710/7 Amends the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service Act. Transfers the Commission from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Human Services and makes related changes throughout the Act. Provides that the Legislative Reference Bureau shall reassign the Act in the Illinois Compiled Statutes (to reflect the transfer to the Department of Human Services). Changes the effective date. Makes some provisions effective January 1, 2022.

Amends the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. With respect to the exceptions to the compulsory attendance requirement, provides that absence for cause by illness shall include the mental or behavioral health of a student. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Provides that the child, after the second mental health day used, may be referred to the appropriate school support personnel.