Sen. Christopher Belt

Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Provides that the Attorney General shall have authority to enforce the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to make a confirming change. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the salary (exclusive of any other compensation or benefits) of a county treasurer who is elected or appointed after the effective date of the amendatory Act in a county shall not be less than 80% of the salary set for the State's Attorney for the county in which the county treasurer is elected or appointed. Provides that the State shall furnish 66 2/3% of the total annual salary to be paid to a county treasurer, and the county shall furnish 33 1/3% of the total annual salary. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the General Provisions and State Employee Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, with regard to persons subject to the Tier 2 provisions, a security employee of the Department of Human Services, a security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, or an investigator for the Department of the Lottery is entitled to an annuity calculated under the alternative retirement annuity provisions, in lieu of the regular or minimum retirement annuity, only if the person has withdrawn from service with not less than 20 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 55, regardless of whether the attainment of age 55 occurs while the person is still in service. Authorizes an investigator for the Department of the Lottery to establish eligible creditable service under the alternative retirement annuity provisions. Provides that a security employee of the Department of Human Services subject to the Tier 2 provisions may convert up to 13 years of service credit established before the effective date of the amendatory Act as a security employee of the Department of Human Services into eligible creditable service by filing a written election with the Board, accompanied by a specified payment. Provides that a specified educational requirement for persons employed by the Department of Juvenile Justice shall no longer determine the eligibility to earn eligible creditable service under the alternative retirement annuity provisions, and authorizes the conversion of service credit to eligible creditable service. Excludes a benefit increase resulting from the amendatory Act from the definition of "new benefit increase". Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Sports Wagering Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning with July 2024, the Illinois Gaming Board shall certify to the State Comptroller the amount of tax revenues collected in the month from sports wagering operations within a municipality with a population of 5,000 or more but less than 500,000, within a municipality of less than 5,000 that has a police pension fund under the Downstate Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code, and within a municipality that is designated a financially distressed city. Provides that the amounts certified shall include wagers designated by digital geolocation within the municipality and wagers made at a physical location within the municipality. Requires the State Comptroller to direct, as soon after certification as practicable, and the State Treasurer to transfer from the Sports Wagering Fund to the specified municipality 5% of the amount certified for that municipality. Requires a municipality that receives moneys under the provisions to use the moneys for general corporate purposes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Municipal Economic Relief and Revenue Task Force Act. Creates the Task Force to study and evaluate methods of providing economic relief to municipalities, particularly those that are financially distressed, and to explore new revenue streams to ensure the provision of necessary services, such as police, fire, and sewer. Includes provisions about membership, meetings, and annual reports to the General Assembly and Governor. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved upon submitting its report and that the Act is repealed 4 years after the effective date of the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall follow specified requirements of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act regarding the administration of cultivation center agent identification cards. Repeals provisions regarding cultivation center agent identification cards and dispensing organization agent identification cards. Makes other changes. Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall issue all agent identification cards under the Act via an online application portal. Provides that all notifications of acceptance or denial for applications under specified provisions shall be sent directly to the agent applicant.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the provision of the Post-Conviction Hearing Article of the Code that a prisoner shows cause by identifying an objective factor that impeded his or her ability to raise a specific claim during his or her initial post-conviction proceedings shall bar a claim under the proportionate penalties clause of the Illinois Constitution brought in a successive post-conviction petition by any person who was convicted of a felony offense committed when that person was under 18 years of age.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2024, the person's adjusted taxable estate shall not include the value of the decedent's ownership interest in qualified farm property. Provides that certain donations must be made to food banks for property to be considered qualified farm property. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Wade R. Bivins of East Carondelet.

Amends the Illinois Antitrust Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title of the Act.