Sen. Patricia Van Pelt

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that an applicant who (i) has earned a master's degree in social work from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and (ii) holds a valid license issued pursuant to the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act may obtain a social worker endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations, as defined and specified by rule. Provides that an applicant who satisfies these requirements is not required to complete an Illinois-approved educator preparation program but may be required to fulfill other criteria established by rule of the State Board of Education. Effective immediately.

Amends the Health Facilities Planning Act. Modifies provisions concerning Safety Net Impact Statements. Provides for Emergency Medicine and Trauma Systems Impact Statements and Maternal and Child Health Impact Statements. Provides further requirements concerning the discontinuance of a hospital facility or a category of service. Provides requirements for hospital closure during a pandemic. Provides for a right of action under the Act. Specifies and modifies penalties for a violation of the Act. Allows a health facility to be placed under receivership. Specifies further powers and duties of the Health Facilities and Services Review Board under the Act. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires a general acute care hospital that ceases to provide hospital services before January 1, 2022 to pay specified amounts. Provides further requirements concerning the payments. Defines terms. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that each chief county assessment officer shall provide the information contained in the assessment list to the Department of Revenue. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall establish and maintain an interactive, publicly accessible map containing the assessed value of property located in the State, as well as current sales data for that property.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess an assault weapon 300 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, except possession of weapons registered with the Illinois State Police in the time provided. Provides exemptions and penalties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that an individual taxpayer age 65 or older is entitled to the earned income tax credit without regard to the requirement under the federal Internal Revenue Code that an individual taxpayer without a qualifying child has not attained age 65. Provides that an individual taxpayer age 18 to 24 is entitled to the earned income tax credit without regard to the requirement under the federal Internal Revenue Code that an individual taxpayer without a qualifying child has attained the age of 25. Provides that certain taxpayers using individual tax identification numbers are entitled to the earned income tax credit. Creates the eligible dependent tax credit. Provides that the total amount of credits between the eligible dependent tax credit and the earned income tax credit may not be less than $600. Amends the Earned Income Tax Credit Information Act to delete certain provisions concerning dependent children. Effective immediately.

Amends the Health Care Professional Credentials Data Collection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the adoption and incorporation of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 410 ILCS 517/45 Adds reference to: New Act Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Consumer Choice in Maternal Care for African-American Mothers Pilot Program Act. Requires the Task Force on Infant and Maternal Mortality Among African Americans to partner with community-based maternal care providers to develop rules and regulations for a Medicaid voucher pilot program to expand consumer choice for Black mothers that includes planned home birth services and in-home perinatal and postpartum care services provided by racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to implement the pilot program no later than January 1, 2023. Provides that the pilot program shall operate for a 5-year period. Requires the Task Force to submit annual reports to the General Assembly, beginning January 1, 2024, and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2028, that provides a status update on the pilot program and annual impact measure reporting. Provides that the pilot program shall implement a maternity episode payment model that provides a single payment for all services across the prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal period which covers the 9 months of pregnancy plus 12 weeks of postpartum. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to make available to the Task Force all relevant data related to maternal care expenditures made under the State's Medical Assistance Program so that budget-neutral reimbursement rates can be established for bundled maternal care services spanning the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum phases of a maternity episode. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Provides that the Medicaid voucher pilot program includes home birth services and in-home perinatal and postpartum care services provided by racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives who are licensed and registered in Illinois (rather than racially concordant nationally accredited certified professional midwives). Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes: Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to take all necessary steps to ensure that the State is eligible for, and receives, the maximum federal matching funds available under Title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act for the purposes of the pilot program. Requires the Department, beginning January 1, 2024, and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2028, to report to the General Assembly the expenditures associated with the provision of perinatal care services to pilot program participants who are insured under the State's Medical Assistance Program. Provides that the Department shall report the incidences of low birth weight, preterm birth, hospital admission for neonatal intensive care services, and severe maternal morbidity, pregnancy-related mortality, and neonatal mortality among program participants. Requires the Department to collect and maintain deidentified demographic data for all program participants. Provides that the demographic data collected for any program participant shall include the participant's zip code of residence at the time of program enrollment, parity, maternal race and ethnicity, maternal age at delivery, and weeks' gestation at the time of program enrollment. Requires the Department of Public Health to monitor and evaluate implementation of the alternative health care delivery model provided under the pilot program in accordance with the relevant terms and standards under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act.

Amends the Telehealth Act. Provides that the Act applies to all health insurance coverage offered by health insurance issuers regulated by the Department of Insurance or the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the medical assistance program authorized under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that any policy, contract, or certificate of health insurance coverage that does not distinguish between in-network and out-of-network providers shall be subject to the Act as though all providers were in-network. Provides that health insurance issuers shall cover all telehealth services rendered by a health care professional to deliver any clinically appropriate, medically necessary covered services. Restricts health insurance issuers from engaging in specified activities. Provides that health care professionals and facilities shall determine the appropriateness of specific sites, technology platforms, and technology vendors for a telehealth service, as long as delivered services adhere to privacy laws. Changes the term "telehealth" to "telehealth services". Makes corresponding changes. Defines terms. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning coverage for telehealth services, makes changes to definitions. Provides that coverage and reimbursement for telehealth services delivered by health care professionals and facilities shall comply with the Telehealth Act. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department and managed care organizations shall comply with the Telehealth Act and removes provisions concerning behavioral health and medical services via telehealth. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.10 new 225 ILCS 150/20 new 225 ILCS 150/25 new 225 ILCS 150/30 new 225 ILCS 150/35 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an individual or group policy of accident or health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall cover all telehealth services rendered by a health care professional to deliver any clinically appropriate, medically necessary covered services, and shall not engage in specified activities. Provides that any policy, contract, or certificate of health insurance coverage that does not distinguish between in-network and out-of-network providers shall be subject to the Act as though all providers were in-network. Provides that health care professionals and facilities shall determine the appropriateness of specific sites, technology platforms, and technology vendors for a telehealth service, as long as delivered services adhere to privacy laws. Provides that there shall be no restrictions on originating site requirements for telehealth coverage or reimbursement to the distant site. Defines terms. Amends the Telehealth Act. Changes the term "telehealth" to "telehealth services". Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and managed care organizations shall comply with specified provisions of the Illinois Insurance Code and removes provisions concerning behavioral health and medical services via telehealth. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking. In provisions concerning coverage for telehealth services, removes language that provides that coverage and reimbursement for telehealth services delivered by health care professionals and facilities shall comply with the Telehealth Act. Removes changes to the Telehealth Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 In provisions in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act concerning emergency rulemaking, provides that provisions allowing the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt emergency rules are repealed on January 1, 2022 (rather than January 1, 2026). In provisions concerning coverage for telehealth services, provides that an individual or group policy of accident or health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall not require that in-person contact occur between a health care professional and a patient (rather than in-person contact shall not occur between a health care professional and a patient, except before an initial e-visit or virtual check-in in order to establish a patient relationship).

Creates the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that the intent of the Act is for the requirements of the Act to apply equally to the governing board of each public institution of higher education in this State. Defines "governing board of each public institution of higher education" and "public institution of higher education". Adds provisions requiring each public institution of higher education to make emergency contraception available for purchase through at least one vending machine located on each campus under its jurisdiction; defines "emergency contraception". Sets forth minimum requirements concerning the packaging, storage, cost, and dispensing of the emergency contraception. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Excludes the board of trustees of a community college district and a public community college from the provisions concerning emergency contraception. Provides that the vending machine must be located in an area of campus where students can access the emergency contraception on weekends or after class hours and that the price of emergency contraception may not exceed $40. Pension Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 4247, as amended by HA 2, will not impact any public pension fund or retirement system in the State of Illinois. Pension Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 4247 would not impact any public pension fund or retirement system in Illinois. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Removes references to community colleges and makes other changes to definitions related to public institutions of higher education. State Mandates Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State mandate. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Illinois Board of Higher Education) The estimated first-year cost to the public universities from HB 4247, as amended by House Amendment #2, is $135,000. The estimated out-year costs total $20,000 annually.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, provides that the child support collected on behalf of a family shall be passed through to the family and disregarded in determining the amount of the assistance grant provided to the family under the program (rather than the first $100 of child support collected on behalf of a family in a month for one child and the first $200 of child support collected on behalf of a family in a month for 2 or more children shall be passed through to the family and disregarded in determining the amount of the assistance grant provided to the family under the program). Provides that beginning October 1, 2022 (rather than October 1, 2018) the Department of Human Services shall increase TANF grant amounts in effect on September 30, 2022 (rather than September 30, 2018) to at least 50% (rather than 30%) of the most recent United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines for each family size. Provides that beginning October 1, 2023 (rather than October 1, 2019), and each October 1 thereafter, the maximum benefit levels shall be annually adjusted to remain equal to at least 50% (rather than 30%) of the most recent poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for each family size. Effective October 1, 2022.

Amends the Chicago Laborers Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision concerning the board of trustees, provides that the City Treasurer, with the prior approval of the board, may also appoint a designee from among employees of the city who is versed in the affairs of the City Treasurer's office to act in the absence of the City Treasurer on all matters pertaining to administering the Article. Makes grammatical changes. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 40 ILCS 5/6-174 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-174 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Further amends the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision of the Chicago Firefighter Article concerning the membership of the board of trustees, provides that the city treasurer, with the prior approval of the board, may appoint a designee from among employees of the city who is versed in the affairs of the city treasurer's office to act in the absence of the city treasurer on all matters pertaining to administering the Article.