Sen. Christopher Belt

Creates the Illinois Fertility Fraud Act. Allows the following individuals to bring an action against any health care provider, embryologist, or any other person involved in any stage of the treatment who knowingly or intentionally used the health care provider's, embryologist's, or person's own human reproductive material, without the patient's informed written consent to treatment using the health care provider's or person's human reproductive material: a woman who gives birth to a child after receiving assisted reproductive treatment or any other artificial means used to cause pregnancy; the spouse of the woman; the surviving spouse of the woman; or a child born as a result of the treatment. Allows a donor of human reproductive material to bring an action against a health care provider who: treats a patient for infertility by using human reproductive material donated by the donor; and knows or reasonably should have known that the human reproductive material was used without the donor's consent or in a manner or to an extent other than that to which the donor consented. Provides that a plaintiff who prevails in an action under the Act is entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and compensatory and punitive damages or liquidated damages of $50,000. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits a criminal sexual assault if that person is a health care provider who knowingly or intentionally provides assisted reproductive treatment to a patient by using the health care provider's own spermatozoon or ovum, without the patient's informed written consent to treatment using the health care provider's spermatozoon or ovum. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that an action for fertility fraud under the Illinois Fertility Fraud Act must be commenced within the later of 20 years after: the procedure was performed; the 18th birthday of the child; the person first discovers evidence sufficient to bring an action against the defendant through DNA analysis; the person first becomes aware of the existence of a record that provides evidence sufficient to bring an action against the defendant; or the defendant confesses to the offense.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may issue special registration plates designated as Defense Superior Service license plates to Illinois residents who have been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal. Provides that no registration fee shall be charged for the issuance or renewal of a Defense Superior Service plate.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Nurse Licensure Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a substitute teacher may teach up to 120 (instead of 90) school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year. Provides that an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may teach up to 15 (instead of 5) consecutive days per licensed teacher who is under contract. Provides that a school district may hire an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License for teacher absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who is under contract, if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency. Provides that the application fee for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License shall be waived when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that every insurer that amends, delivers, issues, or renews a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a qualified health plan offered through the health insurance marketplace in the State and Medicaid managed care organizations providing coverage for hospital or medical treatment shall provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions. Provides that an insurer shall not limit benefits or coverage for medically necessary services on the basis that those services should be or could be covered by a public program. Provides that an insurer shall base any medical necessity determination or the utilization review criteria on current generally accepted standards of mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition care. Provides that in conducting utilization review of covered health care services and benefits for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental, emotional, and nervous disorders or conditions in children, adolescents, and adults, an insurer shall exclusively apply the criteria and guidelines set forth in the most recent versions of the treatment criteria developed by the nonprofit professional association for the relevant clinical specialty. Provides that an insurer shall not apply different, additional, conflicting, or more restrictive utilization review criteria than the criteria and guidelines set forth in the treatment criteria. Provides that the Director may, after appropriate notice and opportunity for hearing, assess a civil penalty between $5,000 and $20,000 for each violation. Amends the Health Carrier External Review Act. Provides that the independent review organization shall comply with specified requirements for an adverse determination or final adverse determination involving mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes changes to the General Assembly's findings. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to a public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, higher education faculty member, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading, including creation of a tool that school districts and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs (instead of the creation of an advisory list of rigorous professional development programs). Further amends the School Code. Requires that, before October 1, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, review and, as needed, amend its professional licensure standards to align with the principles of evidence-based literacy instruction. Makes changes to the amendatory provisions concerning educator testing, including requiring that applicants seeking specified licenses pass a test in reading foundations after October 1, 2025. Makes changes concerning the minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, including providing that applicants must complete coursework concerning evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge. Effective immediately.

Urges the Office of the Attorney General to establish a task force to examine the creation of a statewide conviction integrity unit within its office.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the School Code's construction.

Creates the Recovery and Mental Health Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish and administer a recovery tax credit program to provide tax incentives to qualified employers who employ eligible individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder or mental illness in part-time and full-time positions within Illinois. Creates the Advisory Council on Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder Impacts on Employment Opportunities within Minority Communities. Sets forth the membership of the Council. Provides that the Council shall advise the Department of Human Services regarding employment of persons with mental illnesses and substance use disorders in minority communities. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Requires the Department of Human Services to maintain an electronic listing of the tax credit certificates it issues under the recovery tax credit program so that the Department of Revenue may confirm the eligibility of qualified employers for the tax credit. Provides that the tax credit authorized under the Act may not be carried forward. Contains provisions concerning tax credits for partners, shareholders of S corporations, and owners of limited liability companies. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer who has been awarded a credit under the Recovery and Mental Health Tax Credit Act is entitled to a credit against the tax imposed under specified provisions of the Illinois Income Tax Act. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of Senate Amendment No. 1 with the following changes: Requires the Department of Human Services to maintain an electronic listing of the certificates of tax credit issued by which the Department of Revenue may verify tax credit certificates issued to qualifying employers. Provides that the tax credit authorized under the Act may not be carried forward. Provides that a taxpayer who is a qualified employer who has received a certificate of tax credit from the Department shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed equal to the amount shown on such certificate of tax credit. Provides that if the taxpayer is a partnership or Subchapter S corporation the credit shall be allowed to the partners or shareholders in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income as provided under specified provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, a taxpayer who has been awarded a credit under the Recovery and Mental Health Tax Credit Act is entitled to a credit against the tax imposed under specified provisions of the Illinois Income Tax Act.