102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
Senator Rachelle Crowe resigned her seat effective June 15th at 10 am. Crowe was recently appointed to serve as the US District Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Local Democrats will select her replacement in the coming days.
Senators and staff have begun moving offices to allow for renovations in the north wing of the Capitol. Work is expected to take approximately three years. Republican Senators and staff have been relocated to the Stratton Building. Democratic Senators and staff have been relocated to a combination of other office space in the Capitol and in the Stratton Building.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
New Laws: Governor Pritzker is nearing the conclusion of acting on bills passed during the 2022 spring legislative session. Just four bills are still pending on the Governor’s desk. Key bill signings from this week include:
HB 1780 creates the Drug Take-Back Act. Requires drug manufacturers and distributors to participate in, or individually implement, a state-wide drug take-back program.
SB 2969 requires insurance and managed health plans to provide coverage for continuous glucose monitors.
HB 5318 requires health insurance and managed care plans to allow for prostate cancer screenings. Health insurance and managed care plans are required to provide prostate cancer screenings without imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement.
SB 3617 is omnibus legislation addressing the shortage of mental health professionals in Illinois and increasing access to mental health services across the State. The bill temporarily allows professional licensees out of practice for fewer than five years to reactivate their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The bill also seeks to expand behavioral health training, incentivizes the hiring of individuals in recovery from substance use disorder or mental illness, and makes it easier for advanced practice registered nurses to treat patients.
HB 4430 allows pharmacists to dispense both pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis drugs (PrEP and PEP) without a prior referral from a doctor.
HB 5549 ensures funding from the African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund will support research centers and resources hubs led by representative members of the community.
HB 209 restricts the use of latex gloves in food preparation and medical service.
HB 5412 holds non-union prime contractors accountable for wage theft by sub-contractors.
SB 2981 creates the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act, authorizing the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Tollway Authority to adopt the use of the design-build delivery method on highway construction projects.
HB 5441 amends the Illinois Criminal Code to specify that someone is unable to give consent when intoxicated, even when the accused assaulter did not provide the substance that intoxicated them.
SB 3023 expands where sexual assault survivors can access treatment and for how long, as well as requiring Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide medical forensic services by trained professionals.
Adult Use Cannabis: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the next steps to issue 185 Conditional Adult Use Cannabis Dispensing Organization Licenses to applicants selected in three lotteries in 2021.
Applicants must finalize statutory compliance checks before Conditional Licenses can be issued. Beginning June 16, 2022, IDFPR intends to issue Conditional Licenses to the applicants selected in the 2021 lotteries in three waves:
- Wave 1, on or before July 22, 2022. Naperville-Chicago-Elgin BLS Region.
- Wave 2, on or before August 5, 2022. Other BLS Regions with multiple licenses available.
- Wave 3, on or before August 19, 2022. BLS Regions with a single license available.
The pace of licensing will be determined by how quickly applicants’ compliance checks can be verified. Read more here.
Child Care: Illinois is making new investments to strengthen and grow Illinois’ early childhood education and care field. Several program changes were made including increasing provider rates and family income eligibility levels. The changes will take effect July 1, 2022. Read more here.
Gubernatorial Appointment: Anthony Pascente will serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. Pascente currently serves as CMS chief of staff.