Sen. Christopher Belt

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the Code does not apply to the leasing of State-owned facilities by a wireless carrier. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates credit for the cost of equipment and materials used in the business of providing broadband services in a county in the State with a population of fewer than 40,000 people or a township in the State with a population density of less than 50 households per square mile in a county with a population of less than 300,000 people. Provides that the credit does not apply to equipment and materials placed in service after December 31, 2026. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to exempt equipment and materials used to provide broadband services in a county in the State with a population of fewer than 40,000 people or a township in the State with a population density of less than 50 households per square mile in a county with a population of less than 300,000 people. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Construction Law. Provides that for school districts that have consolidated or approved a cooperative high school within a prior fiscal year, the grant index shall be calculated for each of those school districts that form the new school district or cooperative high school. Provides that whichever grant index is the highest shall be used as the grant index for the newly consolidated school district or approved cooperative high school. Amends the priority of school construction projects by adding 2 additional categories of capital needs and reordering the priority of the remaining categories of capital needs. Makes a related change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act. Changes the title of the Act to the Veterans, Servicemembers, and Families Court Treatment Act. Provides that the Act also applies to defendants who are family members of veterans and servicemembers. Provides that a defendant shall be evaluated for eligibility to be admitted into a Veterans, Servicemembers, and Families Court Treatment program by a Court Assessment Service if the defendant is a family member of a veteran or servicemember. Defines terms.

Creates the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides requirements concerning disclosure and review of prior authorization requirements, denial of claims or coverage by a utilization review organization, and the implementation of prior authorization requirements or restrictions. Provides requirements concerning a utilization review organization's obligations with respect to prior authorizations in nonurgent circumstances, urgent health care services, and emergency health care services. Provides that a utilization review organization shall not require prior authorization under specified circumstances. Provides requirements concerning the length of prior authorizations. Provides that health care services are automatically deemed authorized if a utilization review organization fails to comply with the requirements of the Act. Provides that the Director of Insurance may impose an administrative fine not to exceed $250,000 for violations of the Act. Defines terms. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to change the definition of "emergency medical condition". Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to provide that companies that transact accident and health insurance shall comply with specified requirements of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide that all managed care organizations shall comply with the requirements of the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2022.

Amends the Business Assistance and Regulatory Reform Act. Modifies requirements concerning the Office of Business Permits and Regulatory Assistance. Provides that the office shall implement reforms to improve interagency coordination that allow for expeditious permitting issuance. Provides that the office shall utilize information technology tools to track project schedules and metrics to improve transparency and accountability of the permitting process, reduce uncertainty and delays, and reduce costs and risks to taxpayers. Modifies provisions and adds requirements concerning the provision of information and the expediting of permit reviews. Provides for the creation of an Interagency Permitting Advisory Committee. Provides additional requirements concerning the permitting process under the Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that any electric utility serving adversely impacted residential and small commercial customers shall notify, as soon as practicable and no later than 15 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Illinois Commerce Commission of the same and provide the results of the calculations set forth in the provisions concerning assisting qualifying customers through a power price mitigation rebate. Provides that any electric utility that provides notice to the Commission of qualification under the provisions concerning the power price mitigation rebate shall concurrently file a tariff with the Commission that provides for a monthly rebate credit to be given to all residential and small commercial customers. Provides that the tariff shall provide that the total funds appropriated by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall be divided equally and issued to all of its active residential and small commercial customers. Provides that the Commission shall have 5 days from the date an electric utility files the tariff to review the tariff for compliance, and the tariff shall go into effect no later than 7 days from the original tariff filing date or one day from the date of any compliance filing. Provides that upon receipt of notice from the Commission, the Department shall transfer $200,000,000 to the eligible electric utility serving adversely impacted residential and small commercial customers. Provides that each electric utility providing a monthly rebate credit to its customers shall include a statement as part of a bill insert reflecting a monthly rebate credit to customers. Provides that an electric utility with a tariff shall be entitled to recover the reasonable and prudent expenses incurred and shall have an obligation to provide monthly rebate credits to customers only to the extent there are funds available to the utility to provide monthly rebate credits. Makes a conforming change in the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law. Effective immediately.

Amends the Expressway Camera Act. Includes Boone, Bureau, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair, Will and Winnebago counties among the counties in which the Illinois State Police, the Department of Transportation, and the Toll Highway Authority shall increase the amount of expressway and highway cameras. Provides that any funds needed to conduct the program for use on expressways shall be taken from the Road Fund or Illinois State Toll Highway Authority funds and shall be included in requests for qualification processes for both agencies. Repeals the Act on July 1, 2025 (rather than July 1, 2023).

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the abatement for property located in an area of urban decay also applies to newly remodeled single-family or duplex residential dwelling units (currently, only newly constructed single-family or duplex dwelling units). Provides that provisions requiring the abatement to be reduced in 20% increments annually during the last 4 years of the abatement period apply only to abatements granted prior to the effective date.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Declares that all changes to the existing nursing facility direct care reimbursement rate methodologies and to the bed assessment and collection procedures must be approached with caution, executed deliberately, and held to the highest of standards in order to protect nursing facility residents from disruption in care, protect workers from lost wages and jobs, and protect providers from the increased instability within the industry. Provides that a Nursing Facility Oversight Committee (Committee) shall be named by the 4 legislative leaders to oversee, assess, and provide direction to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services as it relates to long term care services. Contains provisions on the Committee's composition, meetings, proxy voting, and other matters. Requires the Department to seek the advice and consent of the Committee prior to filing emergency or permanent administrative rules with the Secretary of State or submitting Medicaid State Plan amendments and all correspondence to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Requires the Department to prepare transition plans for the redesign of the direct care reimbursement rate methodologies and the assessment tax schedule and collection proceedings. Contains provisions concerning advanced notice to nursing facilities of all payment, award, and rate changes; a quarterly direct care per diem reimbursement rate for each nursing facility; direct care reimbursement rate components subject to redesign; establishment of a single quarterly non-Medicare occupied bed varied tax assessment; State Plan amendments to permit expedited implementation of the redesigned bed assessment; compliance requirements for managed care organizations; penalties for non-compliance; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Eviction Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that, in counties that have a website that the staff of the county maintains, if the plaintiff is unable to obtain personal service on the defendant, the sheriff shall cause the notice of the eviction action to be posted on the website of the county where the cause is to be tried at least 10 days before the day set for the appearance.