The House returned to Springfield for a busy day of legislative action to kick off this deadline week. Floor action lasted over 6 hours with 71 bills passing out of the House.
Committee action on amendments followed directly after late in the evening.
The House and Senate will both be in tomorrow, April 8th. Committee hearings begin at 8 am. The Third Reading deadline is Friday, April 11th.
Floor Action of Note:
HB 226, Home Warranty/Fraud passed the House 106-0-0. This bill amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any company to send or cause to be sent to a person in the State a notice that a home warranty plan is expiring that includes a request for a one-time payment or subscription if the person does not have a current home warranty plan with the company.
HB 1085, Mental Health Coverage Parity -Opposed passed the House 72-33-0. As amended, the bill would require all health insurance plans, except for state plans, to cover mental and behavioral health services at the same rate as other medical needs coverage.
HB 1141, Anesthesia passed the House 107-0-0. This bill provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan shall provide coverage for anesthesia services, regardless of the duration, for any procedure covered by the policy. Provides that an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance is prohibited from denying payment or reimbursement for anesthesia services solely because the duration of care exceeded a preset time limit.
HB 1158, MWRD Bonds passed the House 72-30-0. This bill amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides that bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness for specified purposes shall be issued from time to time only in amounts as may be required for such purposes but the amount of such obligations issued during any one budget year shall not exceed $250,000,000 (rather than $150,000,000) plus the amount of any obligations authorized by the Act to be issued during the 3 budget years next preceding the year of issuance but which were not issued.
HB 1225, Best Consumer Price passed the House 76-29-0. This bill creates the Best Customer Price Act. Provides that a public institution of higher education or a State agency may require best customer pricing for any goods it procures. Provides that, if goods are to be purchased by the State from a supplier or reseller, the supplier or reseller shall attest that the price is the best customer price. Provides that the supplier or reseller shall include a provision in the letter of supply from the manufacturer that the supplier or reseller can secure the supply and quantity of goods to be purchased, and that the manufacturer has extended the same best customer pricing from the manufacturer to each of the suppliers or resellers registered with the State for the goods to be purchased. Provides that the provisions of the Act apply if a public institution of higher education or a State agency affirmatively requires best customer pricing for a particular procurement of goods.
HB 1431, Facility Fee-Neutral passed the House 103-0-0. This bill provides that, if a hospital charges a facility fee for outpatient services separate and distinct from a professional fee, then the hospital shall develop a policy to inform patients as soon as reasonably practicable that they may be subject to a facility fee. Provides that the policy shall include, but not be limited to, the method the facility will use to inform patients that they may be charged a facility fee; the services and operating expenses generally covered by facility fees; the reason for charging a facility fee on the patient or patient's health plan; and contact information to allow the patient to request more information. The Chamber is neutral with the amendment.
HB 1607, Food Desert Elimination passed the House 95-9-0. This bill establishes the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois and advising the General Assembly on policy, funding, initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of food deserts in Illinois.
HB 1616, Organ Donor Leave passed the House 70-34-0. This bill provides that a participating employee or part-time employee (rather than an employee) may use up to 10 days of leave in any 12-month period to serve as an organ donor. Provides that, for a part-time employee using leave to serve as an organ donor, the employer shall calculate the daily average pay the part-time employee received during his or her previous 2 months of employment and compensate the part-time employee in the amount of the daily average pay for the leave days used.
HB 1697, Telecommunicator CPR passed the House 105-0-0. This bill Requires an emergency medical dispatcher to complete a training course in telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR) in accordance with rules adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Requires each emergency medical dispatcher to provide prearrival instructions and telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR) in compliance with protocols selected and approved by the system's EMS medical director and approved by the Department.
HB 1859, Community College Instructors/AI passed the House 87-17-1. This bill provides that the board of trustees of a community college district shall require the primary instructor of a course to meet specified qualifications set forth in the Illinois Administrative Code and any other applicable rules adopted by the Illinois Community College Board. Provides that a course may not, in lieu of a primary instructor, use artificial intelligence or a generative artificial intelligence program.
HB 2978, Neonatal Care Leave passed the House 91-7-0. This bill creates the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act. Provides that an employee of an employer with 16 or more employees and no more than 50 employees shall be entitled to use a maximum of 10 days of unpaid neonatal intensive care leave while any child of the employee is a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit. Provides that an employee of an employer with 51 or more employees shall be entitled to use 20 days of unpaid neonatal intensive care leave while a child of the employee is a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit. Provides that, upon the conclusion of leave taken under the Act, an employee shall be reinstated to his or her former position or a substantially equivalent one with no loss of benefits held or accrued prior to taking leave.
HB 3438 Life Cycle Cost passed the House 107-0-0. This bill provides that the Department of Transportation shall develop and implement a life-cycle costs analysis for each new construction, reconstruction, or replacement road project, except for State rehabilitation and preservation projects, under its jurisdiction for which the total pavement costs exceed $500,000.
Committee Action of Note:
HB 1224 HFA3 Contract Retainage-Support was recommended be adopted in House State Government. As amended, this bill provides that Retainage may not be used as a substitute for good contract management, and the State agency may not withhold funds without cause. Provides that, if the contractor or subcontractor has displayed unsatisfactory performance on previous State agency projects resulting in a low performance score or suspension of prequalification, the State agency may apply retainage from the beginning of the project. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a State agency has not withheld retainage from a payment to a contractor on a project, then that contractor may not withhold retainage from a payment to a subcontractor for the same project. Provides that, if a State agency has withheld retainage from a contractor under the Act, then the contractor may withhold retainage from a payment to a subcontractor, but only to the extent that the amount retained from payment to the contractor by the State agency is attributable to a failure on the part of the subcontractor to make satisfactory progress with respect to the subcontractor's contractual obligations.
HB 2522 HFA1 Nursing Mothers/Workplace was recommended be adopted. This bill amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall compensate an employee during the break time provided under the Act at the employee's regular rate of compensation. Provides that an employer shall not require an employee to use paid leave during the break time or reduce an employee's compensation during the break time in any other manner. | 
