Sen. Christopher Belt

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Deletes a provision concerning the express prohibition of a municipality's adoption of any ordinance or resolution or the exercise of any power that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting the installation of a solar energy system or low-voltage solar-powered devices. Provides that a municipality may regulate or prohibit the installation of a solar energy system or low-voltage solar-powered devices in a way that is consistent with the municipality's comprehensive plan or zoning authority.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Requires the Department on Aging, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to provide updated resources related to scam calls and robocalls on the Department's public website. Provides that the resources shall include, but not be limited to, (1) information on predatory scam calls that utilize AI to mislead the call recipient and (2) access to a scam call hotline number where call recipients may report predatory calls.

Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2028 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that health care facilities located in a Health Professional Shortage Area or Medically Underserved Area, as determined by the federal government, shall be exempt as provided but shall have a hiring preference for surgical technologists who graduated from nationally accredited surgical technology programs and are certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the National Center for Competency Testing. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a person licensed in the State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which the person is licensed, including, but not limited to, a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a nurse performing surgery-related tasks within the scope of the nurse's license or registration; or a student or intern from performing surgical technology services under direct supervision, as defined in the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning a school board's suspension or expulsion of pupils, provides that a student who is determined to have initiated sexual activity with another individual without that individual's consent, a sexual assault, or an attempted sexual assault at a school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or an activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school shall be expelled for a period of not less than one year. Provides that (i) a student initiates sexual activity with another individual without that individual's consent if the student uses force or a threat of force to make the other individual perform a nonconsensual sexual act; (ii) a student initiates a sexual assault if the student commits an act of sexual penetration and uses force or a threat of force; and (iii) a student initiates an attempted sexual assault if, with the intent to commit a sexual assault, the student commits an act that constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of a sexual assault. Allows the expulsion requirement to be modified by the superintendent of the school district and the superintendent's determination to be modified by the school board on a case-by-case basis. Provides that the expulsion shall be construed in a manner consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and a student who is subject to expulsion may be eligible for a transfer to an alternative school program. Effective immediately.

Creates the Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant Practice Act. Provides for the licensure of certified anesthesiologist assistants by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Sets forth provisions concerning: email address and address of record for all applicants and licensees; the function, powers, and duties of the Department; supervision requirements; applications for licensure; qualifications for licensure; endorsement by the Department of certified anesthesiologist assistants from another jurisdictions; criminal history records background checks; and other specified requirements. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to repeal the Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant Practice Act on January 1, 2030. Amends the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act and the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that, in addition to the specified professionals, a licensed certified anesthesiologist assistant may assist a licensed physician, dentist, or podiatric physician. Provides that, in addition to the specified professionals, a licensed anesthesiologist assistant under the supervision of an anesthesiologist is an individual who, with clinical privileges granted at the hospital, may administer anesthesia services. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that one member of the Illinois State Medical Board shall be a certified anesthesiologist assistant licensed to practice in Illinois. Establishes delegation of authority from a supervising anesthesiologist to a certified anesthesiologist assistant. Provides that the Act does not preclude a certified anesthesiologist assistant from performing specified actions.

Amends the Medicaid Technical Assistance Act. Requires the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center to collaborate with public and private partners throughout the State to identify, establish, and maintain best practices necessary for health providers to ensure their capacity to participate in the Illinois Medical Assistance Program (rather than ensure their capacity to participate in HealthChoice Illinois or YouthCare). Requires the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center to promote equitable delivery systems, remaining committed to the principle that all Medicaid recipients have accessible and equitable physical and mental health care services. Removes provisions concerning the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center's administration of network adequacy reports, and instead requires the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center to administer a network recruitment plan. Provides that by using reports and data provided by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ External Quality Review Organization on network adequacy, provider service deserts, and health care disparities by race and ethnicity, the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center shall propose for Department review and approval an annual plan for recruiting providers to participate in the Illinois Medical Assistance Program and report on outcomes of its recruitment efforts to the Department for continuous improvement. Repeals a provision requiring the Department to maximize federal financial participation for any moneys appropriated to the Department for the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center and to deposit all federal financial participation funds into the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Repeals a provision creating the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Amends the State Finance Act. Provides for the dissolution of the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund on July 1, 2026, or as soon thereafter as practical, after the transfer of all remaining funds into the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund. Effective July 1, 2026.

Encourages the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to provide ACT WorkKeys assessments or a comparable career readiness assessment at no cost to students. Encourages participation in such assessments to be voluntary and for no student to be required to participate. Encourages ISBE and local school districts to annually publish information regarding career readiness assessments and opportunities to earn a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) or similar credential. Encourages the Illinois Community College Board to work with community colleges to develop and implement policies to award academic credit toward associate degree programs in workforce, applied science, or technical fields. Encourages such credit to: (1) align with credit recommendations published by the American Council on Education (ACE) or other recognized credit recommendation frameworks, or (2) apply to technical and workforce-aligned associate degree programs. Affirms that nothing in this Resolution should be construed to require public universities or private institutions of higher education to accept such credit. Encourages ISBE to collect and report to the General Assembly aggregate statewide data on student access to career readiness assessments, participation rates, credential attainment outcomes, and postsecondary enrollment outcomes.

Amends the Radioactive Waste Storage Act. Provides that interest earned by the investment or deposit of moneys accumulated in the fund pursuant to the settlement agreement in the matter of the State of Illinois, et al. v. Teledyne, Inc., shall be deposited into the Radioactive Waste Site Perpetual Care Fund for the continued maintenance of the Sheffield Low-Level Radioactive Waste Site and the surrounding buffer zone. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mine Subsidence Insurance Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Makes changes to defined terms. Provides that the moneys in the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund shall be derived primarily from premiums for mine subsidence insurance ceded by insurers to the Fund pursuant to the Article and from investment income. In establishing mine subsidence insurance premium rates, provides that the Fund shall give due consideration to factors reasonably considered by an insurer when setting premium rates and to the fact that the Fund does not receive taxpayer funding or have the ability to issue assessments to the insurance industry to support its long-term financial viability. Changes terms related to the appointment of directors in provisions concerning management of the Fund and establishes 3-year staggered terms for the directors. Provides that all directors shall be independent and owe a duty of care and duty of loyalty to the Fund. In provisions concerning mine subsidence coverage, provides that the loss covered shall be the loss in excess of any applicable deductible or retention in the policy, subject to the limit of insurance for mine subsidence damage stated in the policy. For all policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, provides that there shall be no deductible or retention applicable to mine subsidence damage. For all policies issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, provides that the maximum amount of reinsured loss per residence, per commercial building, and per living unit shall be the amounts established by the Fund and approved by the Director. Provides that the residential and living unit coverage provided under the Article may also cover specified costs of debris removal, moving and storage of contents, and repair or replacement of landscaping. Makes changes in provisions concerning division of the Fund; exemptions; rights of insurers to refuse to provide mine subsidence coverage; arbitration; reinsurance agreements; distribution of premiums; reporting requirements; right of recourse and setoffs; subrogation; and powers of the Director of Insurance.

Appropriates $20,000,000 to the University of Illinois for the purpose of increasing the extension service trust fund allocation for the University of Illinois Extension program. Effective July 1, 2026.