103RD ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly will reconvene for the Fall Veto Session on November 12-14 and November 19-21. This is the first time in recent memory that the Legislature will hold veto session over two consecutive weeks. Traditionally, in election years, veto session is conducted the week before Thanksgiving week and the week after Thanksgiving – thus giving members a week off during the two-week session.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
The Governor signed the following bills into law.
SB 3268 represents the annual Medicaid Omnibus. The legislation includes several provisions including rate increases for various healthcare services, professions, and facilities. The bill also includes one provision that was not the product of the Medicaid Working Group – the test to treat provisions that authorize pharmacists to test for five specific diseases. The bill takes effect immediately.
HB 4582 creates the Bond Authorization Act of 2024. The bill increases bonding authority for General Obligation Bonds, Build Illinois Bonds and bonds issued by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The bill takes effect July 1.
HB 4951 represents the 2024 Revenue Omnibus. The legislation has staggered effective dates of July 1, 2024; January 1, 2025, and July 1, 2025.
Governor’s Trade Mission: Governor Pritzker and his entourage (including staff and economic development leaders) traveled to Canada this week on a trade mission. During the trip, the Governor participated in the 2024 U.S.-Canada Summit and met with key government leaders and business leaders in quantum, finance, electric vehicles, technology, and other growing sectors.
During the trip, Ontario and Illinois finalized a new Memorandum of Understanding to promote increased trade, attract investment, and foster ongoing collaboration across key sectors such as automotive, agriculture, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Ontario is Illinois’ second-largest export market and Illinois is Ontario’s fourth-largest export market in the U.S.
The new MOU promotes economic cooperation between the two jurisdictions by supporting regular business missions, sharing market information and promoting investment. Ontario and Illinois will also explore opportunities for cooperation on emerging technologies that are transforming industries, including sharing best practices on skills training to prepare workers for in-demand and technology-intensive jobs.
In addition, both jurisdictions will establish a Procurement Cooperation Council as a forum for sharing information on procurement policies and to advance opportunities for suppliers in each jurisdiction. Ontario is also pursuing additional agreements with other state-level trading partners to improve access to investment pipelines and export opportunities for Ontario businesses.
The new MOU will increase collaboration in sectors such as automotive (including electric, connected and autonomous technologies), agriculture, food processing and agri-food technology, advanced manufacturing and materials, life sciences, energy, and information and communications technologies. Read the full MOU here.
Gender Affirming Care: The Illinois Department of Human Services and the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago are launching a new statewide initiative that supports and expands gender-affirming care.
The new Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Wellness and Equity Program expands comprehensive and medically necessary care for transgender, gender-diverse, and LGBTQ+ people throughout Illinois. This program equips organizations that currently serve LGBTQ+ communities to increase their capacity to provide culturally- and medically competent gender-affirming care. The initiative aims to address social determinants of health, historical and contemporary trauma, and their unique impact on Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color who identify as transgender, gender-diverse, and other LGBTQ+ identities.
The program will: (1) offer training and behavioral health support; (2) employ Healthcare Navigation Specialists; (3) offer gender-affirming care training for staff; (4) foster participation in a learning collaborative to share successes, challenges, and best practices; and (5) offer strategies to expand medically- and culturally appropriate gender-affirming care throughout their service areas.
Back to Business Grants Awarded: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $5 million in grant funding to 151 recipients through the Back to Business (B2B) Local Chambers program. B2B Chambers provides additional support for local chambers of commerce that experienced negative economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. A list of B2B Local Chambers grantees can be found here.
Navigator Grant Opportunity: A Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Get Covered Illinois Navigator Grant Program Plan Year 2025 is now available. This $6.5 million initiative will create a statewide Illinois Navigator program as Illinois transitions to a state-based marketplace for health insurance. Get Covered Illinois (the official Illinois Marketplace) will oversee and train Illinois Navigators. Applications are due July 5. Read more here.
OTHER NEWS:
Attorney General Reaches Settlement with Johnson & Johson: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan group of 43 attorneys general, announced a nationwide settlement with Johnson & Johnson to resolve allegations the company deceptively promoted and misled consumers in advertisements related to the safety and purity of some talcum powder products, including baby powder and body powder.
Under the consent judgment, Johnson & Johnson has ceased and not resumed the manufacturing, marketing, promotion, sale and distribution of all baby and body powder products and cosmetic powder products that contain talcum powder in the United States. When approved by the court, Illinois will receive approximately $29 million. Read more here.
Attorney General Requests Clarification on Regulation of PBMS:
Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined with a bipartisan coalition of 32 attorneys general in the filing of an amicus brief to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in a case addressing the states’ authority to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. Raoul and the coalition want assurance that states have the authority to regulate PMS. Read more here.
Cybersecurity Symposium: The Illinois Attorney General is offering a free virtual cybersecurity symposium with speakers from the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Commerce Commission, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney General is encouraging business owners, government officials, directors of non-profit organizations, and others interested in cybersecurity to register here. The event is scheduled for Monday, June 17, from 9:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Tuesday, June 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.