Sen. Mike Simmons-Gessesse

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In provisions concerning the Council on Aging, provides that at least 7 citizen members shall represent underrepresented communities, including, but no limited to: one member who is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer individual; one member who is a transgender or gender-expansive individual; one member who is an African-American or Black individual; and one member who is an Asian-American or Pacific Islander individual. Creates the Illinois Commission on LGBTQ Aging to investigate, analyze, and study the health, housing, financial, psychosocial, home-and-community-based services, assisted living, and long-term care needs of LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers. Requires the Commission to make recommendations to improve access to benefits, services, and supports for LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers. Requires the Commission to: examine the impact of State and local laws, policies, and regulations on LGBTQ older adults and make recommendations to ensure equitable access, treatment, care and benefits, and overall quality of life; and examine strategies to increase provider awareness of the needs of LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers and to improve the competence of and access to treatment, services, and ongoing care, including preventive care; and carry out other duties. Contains provisions concerning: members appointed to the Commission; Commission meetings and reports; an LGBTQ Older Adult Advocate to advocate for LGBTQ older adults and older adults living with HIV who experience barriers to accessing and utilizing services; an LGBTQ Older Adult Curriculum and Training Program; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the registration fee paid by any vehicle owner who is eligible under the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act or who is the spouse of such a person shall be $10 instead of $24.

Amends the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health or its delegate agency shall (rather than may) conduct a follow-up inspection of any dwelling unit for which a mitigation notice was issued.

Creates the Banking Development District Act. Establishes a banking development district program. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall, in consultation with the State Treasurer, adopt rules that set forth the criteria, including specified factors, for the establishment of banking development districts. Provides that the governing board of a local government, in conjunction with a depository institution, may submit an application to the Department for the designation of a banking development district. Provides that the boundaries of the proposed banking development district shall include property on which the depository institution plans to make improvements to establish a banking branch. Provides that the application shall include the legal description of the property to be designated. Provides that the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation shall, in consultation with the State Treasurer, issue a determination on an application within 60 days after receiving the application. Provides that if an application is approved, the Department shall transmit notification of the approval and a copy of all application materials to the applicants, the Governor, the State Comptroller, the State Treasurer, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the clerk of the county, the municipal clerk, or the equivalent official in which the property is located. Provides that the Department may adopt rules that define terms, rules that establish fees for applications or other services rendered by the Department, and rules necessary for the enforcement, interpretation, and implementation of the Act. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2023. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that if an application for a banking development district is approved, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall transmit notification of the approval and a copy of all application materials to the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives in addition to other specified individuals.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall provide coverage for hormone therapy treatment to treat menopause that has been induced by a hysterectomy. Makes conforming changes in The State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 130/4003 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024 (rather than the effective date of the amendatory Act) shall provide coverage for medically necessary hormone therapy treatment to treat menopause that has been induced by a hysterectomy. Removes provisions amending the Limited Health Service Organization Act.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Creates the Foster Care Investigative Reports Commission as an executive agency of State government to investigate all adverse reports submitted by foster parents to the Department of Children and Family Services (Department) concerning the children placed in their care. Provides that the Commission shall consist of 9 members appointed by the Governor. Contains provisions concerning the term limits of Commission members, compensation, Commission meetings, and other matters. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Commission shall hire a Director and staff to process and investigate all adverse reports referred by the Department to the Commission in order to determine whether the information and allegations set forth in each report are true or false. Requires the Commission to review the findings and recommendations of the Director for each investigated adverse report. Provides that if, after its review, the Commission determines that an adverse report is false or inaccurate, the Commission shall issue a final written report of its determination to be filed with the foster child's official records. Permits the Director, the Director's staff, and the Commission to inspect and copy any materials held by the Department that are relevant to the investigation of an adverse report. Contains provisions concerning the confidentiality of Department records, Commission reporting requirements, and Commission rules. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 505/5.26 new 225 ILCS 10/2.22a 225 ILCS 10/4 from Ch. 23, par. 2214 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following additions: Further amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to ensure that an exit interview is conducted with every child age 5 and over who leaves a foster home, unless clinically contraindicated. Provides that the interview shall be conducted by a caseworker, mental health provider, or clinician from the Department's Division of Clinical Practice. Requires the interview to be conducted within 5 days of the child's removal from the home. Requires the interviewer to comply with the provisions of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act if the child discloses abuse or neglect. Requires the interviewer to immediately inform the licensing agency if the child discloses any information that would constitute a potential licensing violation. Contains provisions on (i) documentation of the interview; (ii) determinations on whether the interview is clinically contraindicated; (iii) information and subject areas that are required to be addressed during the interview; (iv) the development of interview procedures and an interview form by the Department no later than January 1, 2023; and (v) quarterly postings on the Department's website that summarize the exit interviews. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Expands the definition of "quality of care concerns applicant" to include a foster care license applicant or any person living in the applicant's household who has requested a youth in care's removal from the home on 5 or more occasions. In provisions concerning applications for a foster family home license, requires the Department to review information regarding all child exit interviews regarding the home. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 505/17a-16 new Removes provisions creating the Foster Care Investigative Reports Commission.

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act. Provides that the Act does not prohibit a person, who is not a resident of the State, from performing social work via telehealth in the State for a non-resident of the State for not more than 5 days in any one month or more than 15 days in any one calendar year, had a previous established therapeutic relationship with the non-resident, and the person is authorized to perform such services under the laws of the state or country in which the person resides. Provides that the Act does not prohibit a person, who is not a resident of the State, from performing social work via telehealth in the State for a non-resident of the State currently attending an university or college in the State, had a previous established therapeutic relationship with the non-resident, and the person is authorized to perform such services under the laws of the state or country in which the person resides.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall provide coverage for community-based pediatric palliative or hospice care. Provides that the care shall be delivered to any qualifying child by a trained interdisciplinary team in accordance with all the terms of the Pediatric Palliative Care Act, which allows a child to receive community-based pediatric palliative and hospice care while continuing to pursue curative treatment and disease-directed therapies for the qualifying illness. Makes conforming changes in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024 (rather than after the effective date of the amendatory Act) shall provide coverage for community-based pediatric palliative care and hospice care and that the care shall be delivered to any qualifying child with a serious illness by a trained interdisciplinary team that allows a child to receive community-based pediatric palliative and hospice care while continuing to pursue curative treatment and disease-directed therapies for the qualifying illness. Defines "palliative care" and "serious illness".

Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a Section of the campaign finance Article concerning definitions. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 10 ILCS 5/9-1 Adds reference to: 10 ILCS 5/19-2.6 new 10 ILCS 5/19-3 from Ch. 46, par. 19-3 10 ILCS 5/19-4 from Ch. 46, par. 19-4 10 ILCS 5/19-5 from Ch. 46, par. 19-5 10 ILCS 5/24A-10 from Ch. 46, par. 24A-10 10 ILCS 5/24A-10.1 from Ch. 46, par. 24A-10.1 10 ILCS 5/24A-14 from Ch. 46, par. 24A-14 10 ILCS 5/24B-10 10 ILCS 5/24B-10.1 10 ILCS 5/24B-14 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall provide a certified remote accessible vote by mail system for the General Election of November 8, 2022 and all subsequent elections, through which a vote by mail ballot can be delivered by electronic transmission to voters with print disabilities and through which voters with print disabilities are able to mark and verify their ballots using assistive technology. Provides that election authorities shall permit voters with a print disability to receive and mark their vote by mail ballots (i) through that certified remote accessible vote by mail system or (ii) through a certified remote accessible vote by mail system provided by the election authority. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires the school board of each school district to grant full-time employees of the district 5 mental health days each school year at full pay. Provides that the employee is not required to provide a medical note or other documentation to use the mental health day. Provides that used and uncompensated mental health days are not eligible for pensionable service credit under the Illinois Pension Code. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-6.5 new Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-6 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning sick leave for full-time teachers and eligible employees, adds mental or behavioral health complications to the enumerated interpretations of sick leave. Adds that the school board may require a certificate from a mental health professional licensed in Illinois providing ongoing care or treatment to the teacher or employee. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/34-18.78 new Adds provisions to the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1. Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that, in addition to any interpretation or definition included in a collective bargaining agreement or board of education or district policy, sick leave, or its equivalent, to which a teacher or other eligible employee is entitled shall be interpreted to include mental or behavioral health complications. Provides that, unless contrary to a collective bargaining agreement or board of education or district policy, the board may require a certificate from a mental health professional licensed in Illinois providing ongoing care or treatment to the teacher or employee as a basis for pay during leave after an absence of 3 days for mental or behavioral health complications. Effective immediately.