Illinois

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides that, for any law implementing the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Department of Insurance may adopt rules that include incorporations by reference of federal rules and regulations without identifying the incorporated matter by date and without including a statement that the incorporation does not include later amendments. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Makes changes concerning the assignment or transfer of property and casualty policies; formatting requirements for the insurance company supplier diversity report; and insurance coverage for dependent parents. Provides that the Director of Insurance shall maintain as confidential any records or information received from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies (instead of insurance regulatory officials of other states) that are confidential in that other jurisdiction. Provides that the Department may waive registration and course certification fees if the pre-licensing or continuing education course is provided by a government entity free of charge. Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. In applicability provisions, removes language concerning exemptions for short-term, limited-duration health insurance coverage with a network plan. Repeals the Health Care Purchasing Group Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Language Equality Acquisition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind Children Act. Provides that the Act applies to children from birth to 5 years of age and is subject to appropriation. Provides that the Department of Human Services, in consultation with various State agencies, shall establish a language needs and monitoring program for deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. Provides that an advisory committee on language needs and monitoring shall be established. Provides that the Department, in consultation with various State agencies, shall publish a joint action plan that considers the recommendations of the advisory committee and may propose legislation and rules necessary to implement the Act. Provides for reporting, information sharing, and rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. In provisions concerning when EMS personnel may contact Online Medical Control or an EMS Medical Director or Emergency Communications Registered Nurse to request bypass or diversion of the closest emergency department and request transport to the closest or appropriate EMS System-approved mental health facility, removes the requirement that the patient must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Amends the Adult Education Act and the Public Community College Act. With respect to the annual report on adult education for the preceding school year by the Illinois Community College Board, removes the requirement to include a summary of State reimbursement for adult basic education, adult secondary education, English language acquisition, high school credit, integrated English literacy and civics education, and bridge and integrated education and training programs in coordination with vocational skills training. Provides that any public community college district maintaining adult educations classes for the instruction of those persons who, among other requirements, are 17 (rather than 16) years of age or older are entitled to claim an apportionment of State reimbursement. Allows classes in adult education to include digital literacy. Removes language providing that the maximum generation rate for reimbursement per credit hour or per unit of instruction shall be equal to the community college system reimbursement rate for adult education divided by one-third. Provides that State adult education funds, other than matching funds, are not subject to the authorizing federal law. Removes language providing that approved programs for adult education may assess students up to $6 per credit hour or unit of instruction per semester per student. Removes language requiring an education plan to be established for each adult learning participating in the instructional programs. Requires each adult learner participating in the instructional programs to complete an assessment of foundational skills to appropriately place the adult learner in an instructional program. Makes other and conforming changes.

Amends the ID/DD Community Care Act. Changes the definition of administrator to a person who is charged with the general administration and supervision of a facility and who is at least 21 years of age and either is licensed under the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act; is a qualified intellectual disabilities professional; or has completed at least 4 semesters of study at an institution of higher education and has at least 2 years of management experience or at least 2 years of experience in a position of progressive responsibility in health care, housing with services, or adult day care; in providing similar services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities; or in behavioral health (rather than a person who is charged with the general administration and supervision of a facility and licensed, if required, under the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act). Provides that, as a condition of licensure under the Act, the administrator of a facility must participate in at least 20 hours of training every 2 years to assist the administrator in better meeting the needs of the residents of the facility and managing the operation of the facility. Makes conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2027.

Amends the Swimming Facility Act. In provisions concerning conditional licenses for swimming facilities, provides that the Department of Public Health or the ordinance health department may issue a conditional license setting forth the conditions on which the license is issued, the manner in which the swimming facility fails to comply with the Act and its rules, and shall set forth the time, not to exceed 5 years (instead of 3 years), within which the applicant must make any changes or corrections necessary to fully comply with the Act and the rules of the Department. Provides that no more than 5 (instead of 3) consecutive annual conditional licenses may be issued.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions regarding environmental laboratory certification assessment, repeals provisions establishing the Environmental Laboratory Certification Committee and deletes references to the Committee.

Amends the Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks Title of the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a municipality or county may, to the same extent as an owner or operator, conduct tank removal, abandonment, site investigation, and corrective action with respect to a petroleum orphan underground storage tank in accordance with the requirements of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program, except that a municipality or county does not have to elect to proceed as an owner and the costs shall be eligible for payment from the Underground Storage Tank Fund. Defines "orphan underground storage tank". Makes conforming and other changes in provisions regarding the Underground Storage Tank Fund.

Amends the Public Employee Disability Act. Provides that, for purposes of provisions in the Act concerning disability benefits, "eligible employee" includes any part-time or full-time county correctional officer or any other full-time or part-time employee of a county sheriff. Provides that, when an eligible employee suffers an injury in the line of duty that causes the employee to be unable to perform the employee's duties, the employing public entity shall continue to provide health insurance benefits on the same terms and conditions as were in effect immediately prior to the injury.

Amends the Bees and Apiaries Act. Directs the Department of Agriculture, when practicable, to provide landowners and beekeepers with notification of inspections. Provides that a person may not produce, sell, resell, or transport packages, queens, hives, nucleus hives, bees, or used bee equipment within Illinois, into Illinois, or from Illinois to another state, without a valid compliance agreement or permit. Allows the Department, at its discretion, to grant a waiver of the permit requirement for the transport of packages, queens, hives, nucleus hives, bees, or used bee equipment from an Illinois county to a contiguous county in Illinois or a neighboring state. Requires a person intending to transport packages, queens, hives, nucleus hives, bees, or used bee equipment, into Illinois from another state to notify the Department at least 3 business days before entry into the State of Illinois. Authorizes the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the changes made by the amendatory Act.

Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that no ordinary disability benefit shall be allowed for any period of disability prior to 60 days (instead of 30 days) before application is made, unless the Board finds good cause for the delay in filing the application.

Amends the Climate Displacement Task Force Act. Changes the dates on which various reports created by the Climate Displacement Task Force are to be submitted to the General Assembly. Effective immediately.

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following change. In provisions concerning the registration and recognition of non-public elementary and secondary schools, provides that a non-public, sectarian school that has registered or seeks to register or that has obtained or seeks to obtain recognition status is not subject to the requirements of the provisions that restrict a school's ability to adopt, enforce, or apply policies regarding religious hairstyles, hair-related religious practices, or facial hair worn in accordance with a student's or employee's sincerely held religious beliefs, observance, or practice. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that the length of a contract between a deactivating school district that is seeking to send its students to more than one district and the receiving district shall be for 4 (rather than 2) school years, but the districts may renew the contract for a length of time that is mutually agreed upon by the districts (rather than for additional one-year or 2-year periods).

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that specified provisions of the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Individual Deferred Annuities shall not apply to contingent deferred annuities. Provides that, notwithstanding this exemption, the Director of Insurance shall have the authority to adopt, by rule, nonforfeiture benefits for contingent deferred annuities that are, in the opinion of the Director, equitable to the contract holder, appropriate given the risks insured, and, to the extent possible, consistent with the general intent of the provisions concerning individual deferred annuities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Modifies powers of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in regard to: the appointment of attorneys (rather than assistant attorneys) for the Authority, who shall be under the control, direction, and supervision of the Authority (rather than the Attorney General); and the retention of special counsel, who shall be subject to the control, direction, and supervision of the Authority (rather than the Attorney General). Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Changes the title of the Urban Property Insurance Article to the Availability of Property Insurance Article. Provides for regulation of an association, commonly referred to as the Illinois FAIR Plan Association, of all admitted insurers engaged in writing in the State, on a direct basis, basic property insurance or any basic property insurance component in multi-peril policies, including, without limitation, excess and surplus insurers, but not including farm mutual companies. Replaces all references in the Article to Industry Placement Facility or Facility with Association and all references to Inspection Bureau with Inspector. Sets forth provisions concerning participation in and management of the Association. Makes changes to provisions concerning application procedures; authorized operations for issuing policies; approval of rates; the right to appeal; reporting requirements; making of assessments; and powers of the Director of Insurance. Provides that an insurer shall, for purposes of ratemaking submissions, include its proportionate share of the Association's deficit or surplus in underwriting results with the method of recognition determined from time to time by the Association's governing committee and the Director. Repeals provisions concerning the Industry Placement Program; premium financing; applications for coverage of risks by the Industry Placement Facility; the Illinois Insurance Development Fund; reimbursement of the Secretary through the Fund; insolvency of companies; and a task force that reviews policy forms and endorsements issued by the Industry Placement Facility. Effective immediately.

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1, with the following changes. Creates the Service Appointment Fairness Act. Inserts the amendatory provisions as the provisions of the new Act. Provides that a violation of specified provisions constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that all remedies, penalties, and authority granted to the Attorney General or the State's Attorney by the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act shall be available to the Attorney General or the State's Attorney for the enforcement of the provisions. Provides that any person who suffers actual damage as a result of a violation of the Act may bring an action under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that, to assist and support the Illinois Commerce Commission in the development of renewable energy access plan updates, the Commission may retain the services of technical and policy experts with relevant expertise and experience. Provides that the procurement is exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Procurement Code. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Replaces references to Primary Stroke Centers with Stroke Centers. Provides that a hospital that no longer meets nationally recognized, evidence-based standards for Stroke Centers, loses its Stroke Center certification, or has any change to its designation level shall notify the Department of Public Health and the Regional EMS Advisory Committee within 5 business days. Requires the Department to consult with the State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee for the adoption or deletion of approved stroke designation levels. Provides that the approved stroke designation levels shall coincide with the stroke designation levels recognized by Department-approved certifying bodies. Requires the Department to establish reporting requirements for designated Stroke Centers to capture information using new or existing electronic reporting tools for statewide data collection and certification purposes. Removes provisions concerning previous Stroke Center designations. Makes other changes.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that if a consistent DNA profile has been identified by comparing evidence with a known standard from a suspect or with DNA profiles in the CODIS database, the Illinois State Police shall utilize the Electronic Laboratory Information Management System to notify the investigating law enforcement agency of the results in writing, and the Illinois State Police shall provide an automatic courtesy copy of the written notification to the appropriate State's Attorney's Office for tracking and further action, as necessary.

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Further amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a participating employee who, regardless of cause, is separated from the service of the participating municipalities and instrumentalities thereof and participating instrumentalities from which the participating employee is seeking to retire (instead of all participating municipalities and instrumentalities thereof and participating instrumentalities) shall be entitled to a retirement annuity if the participating employee meets certain conditions. Provides that a condition of entitlement to a retirement annuity is that the participating employee is not entitled to receive earnings for employment in a position requiring him to be a participating employee as defined in the Article or under a provision concerning the suspension of a retirement annuity during employment (instead of employment in a position requiring him or entitling him to elect to be a participating employee). Adds a condition for entitlement to a retirement annuity that the participating employee has not prearranged to return to the service of the participating municipalities and instrumentalities thereof and participating instrumentalities from which the participating employee retired. In a provision concerning eligibility for separation benefits, adds a condition that the participant must have separated from the service of the participating municipality or instrumentality with which the participating employee last participated in the Fund. Removes language providing that the entitlement to a separation benefit is upon separation from the service of all participating municipalities and instrumentalities thereof and participating instrumentalities.

Creates the Consumer Product Return Act. Provides that a retail mercantile establishment shall not limit the method of return or refund to the issuance of store credit when accepting the return of an unopened or unused consumer product from a consumer. Provides that a retail mercantile establishment may require a consumer to provide reasonable proof of purchase and may use any reasonable method to verify that the consumer purchased the unused or unopened consumer product before processing a return, refund, or exchange. Sets forth limitations and exceptions to the Act. Provides that a violation of the Act is a business offense with a fine not to exceed $25. Provides that a retail mercantile establishment shall not be fined in excess of $500 in a calendar year for violations of the Act. Allows a person to bring an action for injunctive relief to obtain compliance with the Act. Limits home rule. Effective July 1, 2027.

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following change. Provides that if the parties cannot reach agreement over the decision on whether to incorporate a student growth component into the teacher evaluation plan and there is no collective bargaining agreement that includes or incorporates by reference the use of a student growth component in the teacher evaluation plan (rather than that includes or incorporates by reference the teacher evaluation plan), then the student growth component shall be removed from the teacher evaluation plan. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that, in order to protect the public and ensure safe and adequate health care services, if the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation finds that any person licensed or authorized to practice under the Act was not properly credentialed pursuant to the standards required at the time of application, the Department may temporarily suspend the person's license or authorization to practice without prior hearing until the Department receives satisfactory evidence of the licensee's overall qualifications. Provides that the Department shall notify the licensee of the temporary suspension at the licensee's address of record or email address of record. Provides that the licensee may request that the Board review the validity of the license within 30 days after the service of the notice and shall submit written evidence in support of the licensee's qualifications with the request for review. Provides that the licensee may seek an extension of time to provide such evidence, during which the suspension shall remain in effect. Provides that the Board, at its next regularly scheduled meeting, shall review the request and any written evidence provided by the licensee and make a final recommendation regarding the licensee's qualifications to the Director of the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department. Provides that, based upon the Board's final recommendation, the Director of the Division of Professional Regulation may issue an order withdrawing the license due to the licensee's lack of qualifications or lift the suspension of the license by stipulating terms and conditions of practice. Provides that withdrawal of the license alone shall not constitute discipline or be a bar to licensure if the licensee makes a subsequent reapplication that meets the qualifications under the Act. Provides that disciplinary proceedings may also be initiated pursuant to the Board's recommendation or Department findings and shall be conducted in the same manner as other disciplinary proceedings under the Act. Sets forth rulemaking authority for the Department.