Congratulates the Gibson Area Food Pantry on its recent rapid expansion and unwavering dedication to the people of Illinois.
Congratulates Kent McCanless on being selected as the 2019 Illinois Emergency Services Management Association Emergency Manager of the Year and commends him for his distinguished service as the director of the Woodford County Emergency Management Agency and to the residents of the State of Illinois.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Deletes a provision authorizing an action to be commenced in any county if all defendants are nonresidents of this State. Limits venue for actions against corporations, partnerships, and insurance companies. Provides that in actions in which no party is a resident of this State and over which another forum has jurisdiction, the court shall, upon motion, dismiss the action subject to specified conditions. Provides that joint and several liability attaches when a defendant is found to be 50%, rather than 25%, at fault. Limits amounts recovered for medical care, treatment, or services and caretaking expenses to the amounts actually paid for those expenses regardless of the amounts initially billed.
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. With regard to the fee Section, moves and changes a provision concerning the license renewal fee for an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement. With regard to the alternative educator licensure program, provides that, in addition to other requirements, an individual must pass the State Board of Education's teacher performance assessment (rather than pass the assessment of professional teaching) no later than the end of the first semester of his or her second year of residency (rather than before entering the second residency year). Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.21 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Further amends the School Code. With regard to the requirement that all contracts for the purchase of supplies and materials or work involving an expenditure in excess of $25,000 or a lower amount as required by school board policy be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, exempts contracts for the purchase of fuel, including diesel, gasoline, oil, aviation, natural gas, or propane, lubricants, or other petroleum products (rather than contracts for the purchase of natural gas when the cost is less than that offered by a public utility). With regard to the alternative educator licensure program, restores a provision requiring an individual to pass the State Board of Education's teacher performance assessment before entering the second residency year. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Finance Act and the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that on July 1, 2020, the State Charter School Commission is abolished and the terms of all members end. Provides that all of the powers, duties, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and pending business of the Commission are transferred to the State Board of Education on that date. Provides for transfer of authorization to a local school board or boards. Makes related changes. Removes the appeal process, and provides that final decisions of a local school board are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Removes a provision requiring a charter school whose authorization has been transferred to the State Board of Education to, as soon as practicable after July 1, 2020, seek transfer of authorization to a local school board or boards for the remainder of the charter school's current term. Provides that at the end of its charter term, a charter school may (rather than must) reapply to the board or boards for authorization. Removes provisions allowing a charter applicant to submit a charter school proposal to the State Board if a local school board fails to hold a public meeting to obtain information or vote on the proposal, fails to grant or deny the proposal, or votes to deny the proposal (including because of the complexities of joint administration with another school district). Provides that no local school board may arbitrarily or capriciously revoke or not renew a charter. Provides that, except for extenuating circumstances, if a local school board revokes or does not renew a charter, it must ensure that all students currently enrolled in the charter school are placed in schools that are higher performing than that charter school. Provides that in determining whether extenuating circumstances exist, a local school board must detail, by clear and convincing evidence, that factors unrelated to the charter school's accountability designation outweigh the charter school's academic performance. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/27A-3 105 ILCS 5/27A-10.10 105 ILCS 5/27A-11 105 ILCS 5/27A-12 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Repeals the State Charter School Commission Fund on October 1, 2020 (rather than July 31, 2020). Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020, all money in the State Charter School Commission Fund shall be used by the State Board of Education for operational and administrative costs and, on September 1, 2020 (rather than July 1, 2020), in consultation with the State Board, the State Comptroller shall order transferred and the State Treasurer shall transfer all money in the State Charter School Commission Fund to the State Board of Education Special Purpose Trust Fund. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2020, the State Board of Education may charge a charter school that it authorizes a fee not to exceed 3% of the revenue provided to the school to be used exclusively for covering the cost of authorizing activities; specifies what the authorizing activities may include. Provides that, beginning on the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission may not enter into or renew a contract, other than a charter renewal, that expires after July 1, 2020. Until July 1, 2020, allows the State Charter School Commission to hear an appeal on a local board's decision to not renew a charter. Allows the State Board of Education to reverse a local board's decision to revoke or, beginning on July 1, 2020, not renew a charter if certain conditions are met. Requires the State Board to appoint and utilize a hearing officer for those appeals. Provides that if a charter school fails to make payments toward administrative costs, the State Board may withhold State funds from that school until it has made all payments for those costs. Adds an immediate effective date.
Amends the River Conservancy Districts Act. Provides that a petition to expand a conservancy district may include a new name of the expanded district. Creates referendum language when territory to be added to a conservation district encompasses an entire county or counties. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the River Conservancy Districts Act. Provides that territory that may be added to a river conservancy district includes a part of a county or an entire county or counties. Requires notice of a public hearing regarding the addition of territory in each county in which the additional territory is located. Provides that a petition to expand a conservancy district may include a new name of the expanded district. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Removes provisions stating that territory that may be added to a river conservancy district includes a part of a county or an entire county or counties and requiring notice of a public hearing regarding the addition of territory in each county in which the additional territory is located.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education must develop an Agricultural Education Pre-Service Teacher Training Program beginning at the secondary level that provides grants to (i) students who qualify as pre-service teaching students and who attend institutions of higher education that offer a State-approved agricultural education teacher preparation program, (ii) students who qualify as pre-service teaching students and who attend public community colleges that provide an articulated agricultural education teacher course of study, and (iii) non-traditional agricultural education teaching students; defines terms and specifies the Training Program's requirements. Provides that the funds provided by the State Board may be used to support (i) a stipend not to exceed $7,500 for a non-traditional agricultural education teaching student or a pre-service teaching student for work completed under the Training Program, distributed in monthly installments, (ii) lodging for a pre-service training student, (iii) reimbursement for meals for the pre-service teaching student, (iv) reasonable costs charged by a participating Illinois agricultural company, or (v) any educational costs related to the Training Program. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education must, in consultation with the Board of Higher Education, develop an Agricultural Education Pre-Service Teacher Internship Program, beginning at the secondary education level, for pre-service teaching students that consists of (i) at a minimum, an 8-week experience or 300 hours of experience to prepare the pre-service teaching student for in-classroom experiences, including, but not limited to, experiences in the 5 career clusters for Illinois agricultural education through partnerships with Illinois agricultural companies and (ii) both in-classroom lectures and hands-on, applied learning; defines terms. Provides that the State Board must award grants to a pre-service teaching student enrolled in the Internship Program, which may be used by the student to support (i) a stipend not to exceed $7,500 for a pre-service teaching student's completion of the Internship Program, distributed in monthly installments, (ii) lodging for a pre-service teaching student while participating in the Internship Program, (iii) reimbursement for meals, not to exceed the per diem rate established by the Internal Revenue Service, for a pre-service teaching student while participating in the Internship Program, and (iv) any reasonable costs for participation in the Internship Program charged by any participating Illinois agricultural company. Effective immediately.
Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning powers and duties under the Act. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 205 ILCS 616/20 Adds reference to: New Act 5 ILCS 140/7.5 5 ILCS 375/6.11 215 ILCS 5/Art. XXXIIB heading new 215 ILCS 5/513b1 new 215 ILCS 5/513b2 new 215 ILCS 5/513b3 new 215 ILCS 5/513b4 new 215 ILCS 5/513b5 new 215 ILCS 5/513b6 new 215 ILCS 125/5-3 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1411.2 215 ILCS 134/30 215 ILCS 134/65 225 ILCS 85/42 new 305 ILCS 5/5-36 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a contract between a health insurer and a pharmacy benefit manager must:(1) require the pharmacy benefit manager to update maximum allowable cost pricing information and maintain a process that will eliminate drugs from maximum allowable cost lists or modify drug prices to remain consistent with changes in pricing data; (2) prohibit the pharmacy benefit manager from limiting a pharmacist's ability to disclose the availability of a more affordable alternative drug; and (3) prohibit the pharmacy benefit manager from requiring an insured to make a payment for a prescription drug in an amount that exceeds the lesser of the applicable cost-sharing amount or the retail price of the drug. Contains provisions concerning the inclusion of prescription drugs on a maximum allowable cost list, State licensing requirements for pharmacy benefit managers, and other matters. Makes conforming changes to other Acts. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Provides that a health care plan shall apply any third-party payments for prescription drugs. Makes changes to provisions concerning the denial of coverage for emergency services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may enter into a contract with any third party on a fee-for-service reimbursement model for the purpose of administering pharmacy benefits. Requires the Department to ensure coordination of care between the third-party administrator and managed care organizations as a consideration in any contracts established. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt from disclosure certain information pharmacy benefits managers are required to provide under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Contains a severability provision. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 134/65 Adds reference to: 5 ILCS 140/7 215 ILCS 134/10 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of House Amendment No. 1, but with the following changes: Further amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In a provision concerning contracts between health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, provides that such contracts must require pharmacy benefit managers to: (1) update maximum allowable cost pricing information at least every 7 calendar days; (2) provide access to its maximum allowable cost list to each pharmacy or pharmacy services administrative organization, as defined, subject to the maximum allowable cost list; (4) provide a process by which a contracted pharmacy can appeal the provider's reimbursement for a drug subject to maximum allowable cost pricing; and other matters. Regarding a drug on the maximum allowable cost list, requires pharmacy benefits managers to ensure that: (i) if a drug is a generically equivalent drug, it is listed as therapeutically equivalent and pharmaceutically equivalent to certain rating standards; (ii) the drug is available for purchase by each pharmacy in the State from national or regional wholesalers operating in Illinois; and (ii) the drug is not obsolete (rather than requiring a drug to have at least 3 or more nationally available, therapeutically equivalent, multiple source generic drugs with a significant cost difference and be available for purchase without limitations by all pharmacies in the State from national or regional wholesalers). Permits the Director of Insurance to examine a pharmacy benefit manager's designee, representative, or other specified persons (rather than any individual) about the business of the pharmacy benefit manager. Contains provisions concerning the denial of a pharmacy benefits manager's registration application or the suspension or revocation of a pharmacy benefits manager's registration. Defines terms. Further amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Makes changes to the definition of "emergency medical condition". Removes changes made to a provision concerning the denial of coverage and payment for emergency services provided without prior authorization or an approved plan. Further amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes changes to certain reporting requirements imposed on the Director of Healthcare and Family Services. Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to make certain disclosures to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services upon request. Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to make certain written disclosures to a pharmacy provider or pharmacy services administrative organization. Defines "pharmacy services administrative organization." Requires the Department to adopt rules establishing reasonable dispensing fees for fee-for-service payments in accordance with guidance or guidelines from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan to provide coverage for long-term antibiotic therapy for a person with a tick-borne disease. Makes conforming changes in the Health Maintenance Organization Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code.
Amends the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act. Provides that the Program Board created to administer the grant program authorized by the Act shall be comprised of 11 (rather than 21) members. Effective immediately.
