Sen. Ram Villivalam

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for State Fiscal Years 2021 through 2024, an annual assessment on inpatient and outpatient services is imposed on each hospital provider, subject to other specified provisions. Contains provisions concerning a hospital's non-Medicaid gross revenue for State Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022. Contains provisions concerning the assignment of a pool allocation percentage for certain hospitals designated as a Level II trauma center; increased capitation payments to managed care organizations; the extension of certain assessments to July 1, 2022 (rather than July 1, 2020); reimbursements for inpatient general acute care services to non-publicly owned safety net hospitals, non-publicly owned critical access hospitals, hospital providers in high-need communities, and other facilities; the allocation of funds from the transitional access hospital pool; administrative rules for data collection and payment from the health disparities pay-for-collection pool; and other matters. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall have emergency rulemaking authority to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act concerning assessments. Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Removes provisions requiring the Department of Public Health to issue a Freestanding Emergency Center license to a facility that has discontinued inpatient hospital services and meets other requirements. Effective immediately.

Expresses support for a strong intercity passenger rail network and supports the passage of U.S. S.2922, the proposed "Rail Passenger Fairness Act", providing Amtrak the ability to enforce its preference rights by bringing a civil action before a federal district court.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides for a reduction in the assessed value of newly-constructed or rehabilitated rental property if the owner of the residential real property commits that, for a period of 10 years, at least 15% of the multifamily building's units will have rents that are at or below maximum rents and are occupied by households with household incomes at or below maximum income limits. Provides that the chief county assessment officer of a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants shall establish such a program. Sets forth application requirements and the amount of the reduction. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that a prescriber shall offer a prescription for naloxone hydrochloride, or another similar drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, under specified circumstances. Provides for educational information to be provided concerning overdose prevention and the use of naloxone hydrochloride. Provides that a prescriber who does not comply with specified requirements shall be subject to administrative sanctions under the appropriate licensing board. Specifies that the provisions do not create a private right of action against a prescriber, and do not limit a prescriber's liability for the negligent failure to diagnose or treat a patient.

Creates the Healthy Workplace Act and amends the State Finance Act. Requires employers to provide specified paid sick days to employees. Sets forth the purposes for and manner in which the sick days may be used. Contains provisions regarding employer responsibilities, unlawful employer practices, and other matters. Provides that an employee who works in the State who is absent from work for specified reasons is entitled to earn and use a minimum of 40 hours of paid sick time during a 12-month period or a pro rata number of hours of paid sick time under the provisions of the Act. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer to interfere with, restrain, deny, change work days or hours scheduled to avoid paying sick time, or discipline an employee for the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right provided under or in connection with the Act, including considering the use of paid sick time as a negative factor in an employment action that involves hiring, terminating, evaluating, promoting, disciplining, or counting the paid sick time under a no-fault attendance policy. Provides that any employer that the Department of Labor or a court finds by a preponderance of the evidence to have knowingly, repeatedly, or with reckless disregard violated any provision of the Act or any rule adopted under the Act is subject to a civil money penalty to be paid to the employee not to exceed $2,500 for each separate offense. Provides that the Department of Labor shall administer the Act. Authorizes individuals to file civil actions with respect to violations. Creates the Healthy Workplace Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning in State fiscal year 2020, the specified income threshold shall be no less than 200% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Effective July 1, 2019.

Urges the General Assembly to increase investments in early childhood programs not only to expand access to high-quality services for children and families but also to enable Illinois to pay its early childhood workforce the wages needed to attract and retain qualified professionals.

Creates the Safe Patient Limits Act. Provides the maximum number of patients that may be assigned to a registered nurse in specified situations. Provides that nothing shall preclude a facility from assigning fewer patients to a registered nurse than the limits provided in Act. Provides that nothing in the Act precludes the use of patient acuity systems consistent with the Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act; however, the maximum patient assignments in the Act may not be exceeded, regardless of the use and application of any patient acuity system. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules governing the implementation and operation of the Act. Provides that all facilities shall adopt written policies and procedures for training and orientation of nursing staff and that no registered nurse shall be assigned to a nursing unit or clinical area unless that nurse has, among other things, demonstrated competence in providing care in that area. Provides that the written policies and procedures for the training and orientation of nursing staff shall require that all temporary personnel receive the same amount and type of training and orientation that is required for permanent staff. Provides that the Act's provisions are severable.

Amends the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of teachers, a school board shall pay those who serve on a full-time basis a rate not less than (i) $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, (ii) $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, (iii) $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and (iv) $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the minimum salary rate for each school year thereafter, subject to review by the General Assembly, shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that, on or before January 31, 2020, the Professional Review Panel must submit a report to the General Assembly on how State funds and funds distributed under the evidence-based funding formula may aid the financial effects of the changes made by the amendatory Act. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-8 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/27A-10 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code to allow a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations to be issued to an applicant who, among other qualifications, has passed a paraprofessional competency test (instead of allowing the endorsement to be issued only if the applicant holds an associate's degree or a minimum number of higher education credits). Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement the test. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the Code to require charter school employees in instructional positions to have passed a content area knowledge test. Makes changes concerning obsolete language. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a home rule municipality with a population in excess of 1,000,000 may restructure the rates of an existing real estate transfer tax to specified amounts. Provides that if the municipality increases the real estate transfer tax rates as provided in this subsection, then of the entire proceeds received from the real estate transfer tax, 75% shall be dedicated to the city's general budget and 25% shall be dedicated to housing and services to combat homelessness.