LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM EQUIP FOR EQUALITY
NOTE: May 28, 2021 is the 3rd Reading deadline for substantive House bills in the Senate and substantive Senate bills in the House. May 31, 2021 is the final day of the Spring legislative session.
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The following are disability-related bills and/or issues pending in the Illinois General Assembly that are scheduled to be heard in committee during the week of May 24, 2021:
House Appropriations-Human Services Committee
May 27, 2021, 9:00 a.m.
Virtual Room 1 www.ilga.gov
Springfield, IL
SUBJECT MATTER: DHS Guidehouse Study and Recommendations.
- To file an electronic witness slip for the subject matter hearing: Click
Senate Education Committee
May 25, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
Room 212, Capitol Building
or
Virtual Room 1 www.ilga.gov
Springfield, IL
HB 26, Senator Cristina H. Pacione Zayas
Amends the School Code. To ensure that the content available on any third party online curriculum that is made available to enrolled students or the public by a school district through the Internet is readily accessible to persons with disabilities, provides that a school district must require that the Internet website or web service comply with Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Effective August 1, 2022.
Senate Health Committee
May 25, 2021, 2:00 p.m.
Room 400, Capitol Building
or
Virtual Room 2 www.ilga.gov
Springfield, IL
HB 684, Senator Ram Villivalam
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Exempts ground ambulance services from the State’s managed care medical assistance program. Provides that these services shall continue to be paid under the State’s traditional fee-for-service program..
HB 3666, Senator Bill Cunningham
Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. In provisions regarding involuntary transfer or discharge of a resident, provides that a facility may submit to a resident or a resident’s legal representative a bill for all charges for which payment was not made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides that the amendatory provisions do not apply to a resident whose care is provided for under the Illinois Public Aid Code or who has submitted an application for care to be provided under the Illinois Public Aid Code.
Provides that if payment is not made or if the resident or the resident’s legal representative does not contact the facility to set up a payment schedule acceptable to the facility within 45 days after submission of a bill, the facility may submit a request for payment and, 30 days after receipt of the request for payment, the facility may initiate an involuntary transfer or discharge of the resident. Provides that if the resident or the resident’s legal representative submits evidence of the resident’s financial inability to cover all charges, the facility shall make application on behalf of the resident for Medicaid services, and, upon approval of the resident’s application, the State shall pay the resident’s bill, retroactive to the date the resident failed to make payment. Provides that a resident’s discharge prior to this action does not eliminate a resident’s responsibility to pay for all services rendered. Effective immediately.
Senate Behavioral and Mental Health Committee
May 25, 2021, 3:00 p.m.
Room 409, Capitol Building
or
Virtual Room 3 www.ilga.gov
Springfield, IL
HJR 1, Senator Steve Stadelman
Urges Illinois schools to provide education for all students in grades six to 12 on how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses, as well as provide instruction for how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Commends the National Council for Behavioral Health and the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health for their work in developing and directing teen Mental Health First Aid training programs for schools. Commends Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, the Paris Union School District, and Clinton High School for participating in the first nationwide pilot programs of teen Mental Health First Aid training for schools. Commends Operation Snowball, the Human Resources Center of Edgar and Clark Counties, and the Heritage Behavioral Health Center for participating in the first nationwide teen Mental Health First Aid instructor trainings.
Senate Executive-Procurement Committee
May 26, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
Room 212, Capitol Building
or
Virtual Room 1 www.ilga.gov
Springfield, IL
HB 292, Senator Laura Fine
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning no later than October 1, 2022, residents of CILA facilities who are eligible for medical assistance and are enrolled in the State’s home and community-based services waiver program for adults with developmental disabilities shall retain all earned income from employment or community day services activities. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. In a provision requiring the State Use Committee to review the pricing of supplies and services procured by the State from a qualified not-for-profit agency for persons with significant disabilities, provides that the Committee may consider during its review certain factors including, but not limited to, amounts private businesses would pay for similar products or services. Effective immediately.
Senate Executive Committee
May 26, 2021, 1:30 p.m.
Room 212, Capitol Building
or
Virtual Room 1 www.ilga.gov
Springfield, IL
HB 292, SCA 1 Senator Laura Fine
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning no later than July 1, 2021, residents of CILA facilities who are eligible for medical assistance and are enrolled in the State’s home and community-based services waiver program for adults with developmental disabilities shall retain all earned income from employment or community day services activities. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. In a provision requiring the State Use Committee to review the pricing of supplies and services procured by the State from a qualified not-for-profit agency for persons with significant disabilities, provides that the Committee may consider during its review certain factors including, but not limited to, amounts private businesses would pay for similar products or services. Effective immediately.
- To read the full text of HB 292: Click
- To read the text of SCA 1: Click
- To file an electronic witness slip on HB 292, SCA 1: Click
HB 1950, Senator Mattie Hunter
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, health equity, and quality of Illinois’ Medicaid managed care programs: HealthChoice Illinois and YouthCare. 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 or YouthCare. 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; and (iii) host regional learning collaboratives that will supplement the Center’s training curriculum to bring together groups of stakeholders to share issues and best practices, and to escalate issues. Requires the Department to 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.
SPECIAL NOTE: Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, most committee hearings are being held remotely via the Internet. For some Senate committee hearings, witnesses have the option of attending/testifying in person or remotely.
- To view instructions regarding the remote hearing process and how to submit oral or written testimony in the HOUSE: Click
- To view instructions regarding the remote hearing process and how to submit oral or written testimony in the SENATE: Click
For additional information, please contact:
Cheryl R. Jansen
Public Policy Director
Equip for Equality
cherylj2@equipforequality.org
217-303-8543
