Sen. Laura Fine

Amends the Illinois Oil and Gas Act. Provides that wells with horizontal or directional extensions from a vertical bore hole shall not be classified as confidential. Provides that the length and direction of these wells shall be included in the Department of Natural Resources' weekly permit logs. Provides that all chemicals used during drilling and completion of these wells shall be contained in specified publications. Effective immediately.

Creates the Medicaid Eligibility Determination and Renewal Reform Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (Department) to work with the Department of Human Services to achieve the following goals related to eligibility determinations and renewals under the Medical Assistance Program: (i) reduce procedural terminations so that no more than 10% of medical assistance beneficiaries who remain eligible for medical assistance experience any lapse in contemporaneous medical coverage; and (ii) use technology to lower administrative burdens and increase beneficiary continuity of coverage by providing real-time eligibility determination decisions for at least 75% of all medical assistance applicants, increasing automatic renewals for medical assistance beneficiaries, and offering an electronic means by which medical assistance beneficiaries can track and maintain their benefits. Provides that the goals must be meet by December 31, 2020. Requires the Department to submit Medicaid and CHIP State Plan amendments to implement express lane eligibility for all beneficiaries of medical assistance and benefits under the Children's Health Insurance Program Act. Contains provisions concerning community-based enrollment and redetermination assistance; the creation of enhanced user permission; and other matters. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department to reduce administrative burdens and minimize delay utilizing its income, residency, and identity verification system; and to utilize federal or State electronic data sources to obtain certain financial, employment, and residency information. Contains provisions concerning data matching; the waiver of residency verification requirements; rulemaking authority; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Provides that a home care consumer in the Department of Human Services' Home Services Program has the right and discretion to: (1) select and hire a personal assistant or other individual provider of his or her choice; and (2) determine the number of hours per week his or her personal assistant or other individual provider may work. Provides that, subject to the Department's authority to approve the total monthly hours in a home care consumer's service plan, no limitation shall be imposed on the number of hours per week a personal assistant or other individual provider may work unless the following conditions are satisfied: (A) as an exception to any limit imposed by the Department, a personal assistant or other individual provider may work and be paid for all hours worked up to at least 66 hours per week if the personal assistant or other individual provider works for a home care consumer who: (i) receives services under a court-ordered service plan; (ii) has a Determination of Need score of 70 or above; or (iii) has an exceptional care rate; (B) the Department shall establish an exceptions and appeals process that permits a home care consumer to request an exception to any limit imposed by the Department up to a maximum of no less than 66 hours per week; and (C) if the home care consumer would face a serious risk of institutionalization, the Department shall work with the home care consumer to ensure that appropriate care in the community will be provided, whether through authorized overtime or another solution. Provides that nothing shall limit the Department's authority under any other statute to disqualify an individual from providing services in the Department's Home Services Program for reasons other than the number of weekly hours worked by the individual.

Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act. Defines "title-secured loan". Provides that for title-secured loans entered into or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act: (i) a licensee shall not contract for or receive a charge exceeding 36% annual percentage rate on the unpaid balance of the amount financed for a title-secured loan; (ii) the loan contract shall provide for repayment of the principal and charges within specified maximum loan terms; (iii) upon or after default, a licensee shall not charge a borrower any finance charges, interest, fees, or charges of any kind; and (iv) the loan may be refinanced if the original principal of the loan has been reduced by at least 60%. Provides that nothing in these provisions abrogates a borrower's right to collect any surplus arising from the sale of a motor vehicle under the Uniform Commercial Code.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Deletes language providing that "employee" does not include members of the immediate personal staffs of elected public officials.

Creates the Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture, with meaningful input from stakeholders, shall develop an Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program for a period of 5 years under which eligible entities may receive funding to provide agricultural surplus to communities of need. Creates an advisory council to support the Program. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement the program no later than 90 days after the effective date of the Act. Provides that aspects of the program that are eligible for funding may include: (1) reimbursement to growers for picking, packing, and processing agricultural surplus; (2) transportation to the food banks; (3) reimbursement to food banks for storage and distribution costs; (4) capacity building grants for food banks to invest in facility upgrades for processing agricultural surplus; (5) marketing and promotional activities related to the pilot program; and (6) program administration. Provides for reporting requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Allows the State Board of Elections to receive voter registration information provided by applicants using electronic voter registration portals (rather than the Board's website). Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who is otherwise qualified to vote may preregister to vote on or after that person's 16th birthday, with the registration held in abeyance by the appropriate election authority until that individual attains the required age to vote. Requires preregistration to be completed using the online voter registration system or an electronic voter registration portal. Provides that for the purposes of the Code, an individual who is 16 years of age or older (rather than who is 17 years of age and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general or consolidated election) shall be deemed competent to execute and attest to any voter registration forms.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that the rates and minimum mandated wage increases for homemaker services shall be, at a minimum, as of January 1, 2019, a rate of $19.96 per hour, for a minimum wage of $12 per hour, and as of July 1, 2019, a rate of $21.64 per hour for a minimum wage of $13 per hour. Provides that rates in future State fiscal years shall be no lower than the rates in effect on July 1, 2019. Provides that in-home service provider agencies shall be required to certify to the Department on Aging that they are in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, any paid time off, payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation payment, shall not be reduced in relation to these rate increases. Effective immediately.

Creates the Law Enforcement Gang Database Information Act. Provides that each law enforcement agency that maintains a gang database or has access to a shared gang database shall have a policy regarding those databases. Provides that the policy shall include, but not be limited to: (1) that personnel authorized to access a gang database or shared gang database are limited to sworn law enforcement personnel, non-sworn law enforcement support personnel, criminal justice entities, or non-criminal justice technical or maintenance personnel, including information technology and information security staff and contract employees, who have been subject to character or security clearance and who have received approved training; (2) any records contained in a gang database, shared gang database, gang-related information in a law enforcement agency case report, gang-related information in a law enforcement agency dispatch note, or gang-related information in a law enforcement agency dispatch system record shall not be disclosed for the following purposes: employment, education, licensing, or housing, except that law enforcement and criminal justice entities may use information contained in a gang database or shared gang database for employment purposes, and records contained in a gang database or shared gang database may be disclosed to comply with federal law, for national security or homeland security purposes, for military screening purposes, or for other appropriate law enforcement purpose; (3) security procedures; and (4) the review and purge process from gang databases and shared gang databases. Defines terms. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in all criminal cases, evidence which indicates the mere presence that the person was or is on a gang database or a shared gang database is not admissible. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Pesticide Act. Increases the monetary penalties for violations of the Act. Effective January 1, 2020.