Sen. Christopher Belt

Amends the evidence-based funding provisions of the School Code. Allows district intervention money to be added to an organizational unit's base funding minimum if the organizational unit (i) is operating under an Independent Authority or is subject to State Board of Education control pursuant to a court order for at least 4 school years; (ii) was designated as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 organizational unit in the previous school year; (iii) is operating under financial planning approved by the Independent Authority or the governing board of the organizational unit if under State Board control pursuant to a court order, and (iv) has made sufficient progress and achieved sufficient stability in the areas of governance, academic growth, and finances. Sets forth the procedures for adding district intervention money to the base funding minimum, including requiring General Assembly approval. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that beginning in State Fiscal Year 2021, and for every State fiscal year thereafter, the Department of Children and Family Services shall implement the rate reimbursement methodology outlined in a specified provision of the Illinois Administrative Code when calculating and determining the payment rates for private agencies that contract with the Department to provide any specified services, including, but not limited to: (i) residential services; (ii) specialized, adolescent, treatment, or other non-traditional or Home-of-Relative foster care services; and (iii) intact family services. Provides that the payment rates calculated and determined, as provided in the amendatory Act, shall include an amount equal to any increase in the general inflation as determined by the consumer price index and shall be subject to appropriations. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the medical assistance program shall provide coverage for routine care costs that are incurred in the course of an approved clinical trial if the medical assistance program would provide coverage for the same routine care costs not incurred in a clinical trial. Defines "approved clinical trial" to mean a phase I, II, III, or IV clinical trial involving the prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer or any other life-threatening disease or condition. Defines "routine care cost" to mean the cost of medically necessary services related to the care method that is under evaluation in a clinical trial, including the cost of services related to the detection and treatment of any complications arising from the patient's medical care and any complications related to participation in the clinical trial. Defines other terms.

Creates the Complete Streets Act. Requires the Department of Transportation to use federal or State funds allocated for transportation projects to improve safety, access, and mobility for users of the various modes of transportation. Creates the Complete Streets Advisory Board. Provides that the Governor shall appoint members representing various agencies, organizations, or interest groups to the Advisory Board. Provides that the Advisory Board, in coordination with a representative or representatives of the Department, shall prepare a report on the status of the implementation of the Complete Streets Initiative. Provides that the Advisory Board shall submit its initial report and recommendations to the Governor, the Department, and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2022, and annually on January 1 of each subsequent year. Defines the terms "Advisory Board", "Department", "multimodal", "multimodal planning or multimodal transportation planning", and "user or users". Effective immediately.

Amends the Vital Records Act. Provides that an additional fee for certified copies of death certificates and fetal death certificates is $4 (rather than $2). Provides that $2 of the additional fee must be deposited into the State Crime Laboratory Fund. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that moneys deposited into the State Crime Laboratory Fund under the amendatory provisions shall be used for continuing education, training, and professional development of forensic scientists.

Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a Medicaid Technical Assistance Center (Center). Provides that the Center shall operate as a cross-system educational resource to strengthen the business infrastructure of health care provider organizations in Illinois to ultimately increase the capacity, access, and quality of Illinois' Medicaid managed care program, HealthChoice Illinois. Requires the Center to be established within the Department's Office of Medicaid Innovation. Requires the 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 HealthChoice Illinois. Requires the Center to: (i) create and administer ongoing trainings for health care providers; (ii) maintain an independent, easy to navigate, and up-to-date website that includes, but is not limited to, recorded training archives, a training calendar, and provider resources and tools; and (iii) host regional learning collaboratives that will supplement the Center's training curriculum to bring together groups of stakeholders to share issues, best practices, and escalate issues. Provides that the Department, to the extent allowable under federal law, shall maximize federal financial participation for any moneys appropriated to the Department for the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Provides that any federal financial participation funds obtained shall be used for the further development and expansion of the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that through June 30, 2022 (instead of June 30, 2020), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Adult Protective Services Act. Expands the scope of the Act to include reports of abandonment. Defines "abandonment" to mean the desertion or willful forsaking of an eligible adult by anyone having care or custody of that eligible adult under circumstances in which a reasonable person would continue to provide care and custody.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall reduce all application fees and examination fees by 50% for veterans. Provides that nothing in the provisions waives the requirement that the veteran meet all other licensing requirements, including paying other fees in full as otherwise required during the licensing process.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to develop and implement a School Unused Food Program that allows public schools in this State to provide food that is unused by the school to needy children who are students of that school. Provides that unused food under the Program shall be provided at no cost to the student. Provides that a school participating in the Program may contract with third parties to provide services under the Program. Provides for the adoption of rules. Defines "needy children". Effective immediately.