Sen. Jil Tracy

Creates the COVID-19 Immunity Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any individual, business, or unit of local government shall not be liable for any civil damages for any acts or omissions that result in the transmission of COVID-19, other than damages occasioned by willful and wanton misconduct by the individual, business, or unit of local government. Provides that, with the exception of willful and wanton misconduct, a health care provider shall be immune from civil liability for any injury or death relating to the diagnosis, transmission, or treatment of COVID-19 alleged to have been caused by any act or omission by the health care provider, which injury or death occurred at a time when health care provider was providing health care services consistent with current guidance issued by the Department of Public Health. Provides that the Act applies to any cause of action arising on or after January 1, 2020. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that aggravated assault includes an assault committed against a contractor (rather than just a subcontractor) of the Department of Human Services supervising or controlling sexually dangerous persons or sexually violent persons. Provides that aggravated battery includes committing various kinds of battery against an officer or employee of a contractor or subcontractor of the Department of Human Services supervising or controlling sexually dangerous persons or sexually violent persons.

Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that a county is entitled to a scholarship in the University of Illinois for the benefit of the children of persons who served in the armed forces of the United States until any time on or after August 2, 1990 and until Congress or the President orders that persons in service are no longer eligible for the Kosovo Campaign Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that a veteran is entitled to admission to an Illinois Veterans Home if he or she has served in the National Guard or Reserve Forces of the United States and completed 20 years of satisfactory service, is otherwise eligible to receive reserve or active duty retirement benefits, and has been an Illinois resident for at least one year before applying for admission for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary care or nursing home care (currently, only domiciliary care). Effective immediately.

Creates the Right to Shop Act. Requires a carrier offering a health plan to develop and implement a program that provides incentives for enrollees in a health plan who elect to receive a comparable health care service from a provider that collects less than the average in-network allowed amount paid by that carrier to a network provider for that comparable health care service. Provides how incentives may be calculated, distributed, and offered. Requires the carrier to file a description of the health care service incentive program with the Department of Insurance. Requires a carrier to establish an interactive mechanism on its website to enable an enrollee to request the estimated amount the carrier would pay to a network provider for a comparable health care service. Requires the Director of Central Management Services to conduct an analysis on the cost effectiveness of implementing an incentive-based program for current enrollees and retirees of the State group health benefits plan. Requires a program found to be cost effective to be implemented as part of the next open enrollment. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. In provisions concerning stallions that qualify for Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund breeding, removes language requiring the stallion to be owned by a resident of Illinois or a corporation in which all shareholders, directors, officers, and incorporators are residents of Illinois. Removes language prohibiting semen from being transported outside of Illinois. Removes language requiring the stallion's owner to be a resident of Illinois the previous 12 months. Removes language requiring that certain agreements for ownership or transfer of interest in a stallion must restrict ownership or transfer of interest to a resident of Illinois.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person who commits the offense of financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability may be tried in any county in which any part of the assets that the person obtained control over are held. Provides that a defense to aggravated battery of a person 60 years of age or older does not exist merely because the accused reasonably believed the victim to be than 60 years of age. Enhances the penalties for theft and theft by deception if the victim is 60 years of age or older or a person with a disability or if the offense was committed in a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or a supportive living facility. Provides that theft, theft by deception, and financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability is a Class X felony if the value of the property stolen or illegally obtained exceeds $100,000 (rather than $1,000,000).

Amends the State Finance Act, the Motor Fuel Tax Law, the Emergency Telephone System Act, the Illinois Gambling Act, and the Video Gaming Act. Provides that, in the absence of an appropriation for any State fiscal year, moneys that are required to be distributed to units of local government and other entities from the State and Local Sales Tax Reform Fund, the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, the State Gaming Fund, the Local Government Video Gaming Distributive Fund, and the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund are subject to a continuing appropriation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that buildings, structures, and improvements that are not permanently attached to the land are not considered property for the purposes of the Code.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that incidental sales of finished compost do need not to be applied to agronomic rates in determining whether a person needs a permit to conduct a landscape waste composting operation at specified sites. Removes a provision requiring that no fee is charged for the acceptance of materials to be composted in order for a site having 10 or more occupied non-farm residences within 1/2 mile of its boundaries to be excepted from permit requirements.