103 rd ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly remains adjourned until the two-week November Veto Session.
The House Health Care Availability & Accessibility Committee will hold a subject matter hearing on September 11 at 10 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss pharmacy benefit managers and specialty medications.
Note the House State Government Administration Committee CANCELLED the hearing for September 18 at 11 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss HB 4418.
The House Appropriations-Higher Education Committee will hold a hearing on September 23 at 10:00 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss Illinois’ universities and colleges.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Medicaid Provider Enrollment: Providers actively enrolled in the Illinois Medicaid program will need to revalidate their enrollment status to continue providing services to Medicaid customers and to bill Medicaid. This federal requirement was temporarily discontinued during the COVID-19 federal public health emergency. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services resumed the practice effective September 3.
Providers will receive revalidation notifications 90 days before their due date. Once providers receive the email notification about the revalidation cycle starting, it is their responsibility to verify that all information contained in HFS’ IMPACT system is accurate and up to date. Providers will receive another reminder email 30 days before their revalidation deadline.
A failure to revalidate before their due date will result in a provider being terminated from the Medicaid program, which means all payments will cease for any services provided beginning the day after the revalidation due date.
Read more here. The HFS provider notice is here.
Department of Labor Issues Labor Day Report: The Illinois Department of Labor issued its traditional Labor Day Report which offers a glimpse of the Agency’s work over the past year. Read the IDOL Labor Day Report 2024 here.
Equitable Energy Future Grant Program: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is offering $25.5 million in funding through the Equitable Energy Future Grant Program. The grant funding will provide seed funding and pre-development funding opportunities to equity eligible contractors to work on renewable energy projects in low-income and historically disadvantaged communities. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process. Funding will be distributed in two phases, with applicants having the flexibility to apply for either one or both phases.
Qualified entities include equity eligible contractors and independent contractors, non-profits, co-operatives that are majority-owned by equity eligible persons, and businesses or non-profits with a proposed project that meets equity building criteria.
Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. To view and apply for the grant, please visit the DCEO website. To help applicants prepare to apply for funding, DCEO will be holding a technical assistance webinar from 12-1 p.m. on September 19, 2024. Read more here.
Aging Roundtable Discussions: State aging officials are holding a series of roundtable discussions to help shape the future of policymaking, service delivery, and investment priorities to meet the needs of a growing older adult population. The roundtables are open to service providers, older adults, family caregivers, and the public. Read more here.
Disaster Proclamation: Governor JB Pritzker issued a Disaster Proclamation following the severe weather and flooding that affected Cook County, Henry County, Fulton County, St. Clair County, Washington County, Winnebago County, and Will County on July 13 through July 16.
The proclamation allows local entities to access additional state resources and emergency personnel who can assist in their continued response and recovery efforts. Governor Pritzker also requested a federal Major Disaster Declaration from the President of the United States through FEMA. If approved, this declaration would enable impacted communities to access individual assistance from FEMA and disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Disaster Proclamation goes into effect immediately.
Gubernatorial Appointments: Governor Pritzker appointed the following:
· Barbara Flynn Currie will continue to serve as Chair of the Pollution Control Board.
· Illinois Army National Guard Chief of Staff Colonel Lenny Williams will serve as the next Assistant Adjutant General – Army of the Illinois National Guard and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard.
OTHER NEWS:
Concealed Carry: A federal judge in Rockford ruled unconstitutional a portion of Illinois’ concealed carry law that prohibits Illinoisans with concealed carry permits from carrying guns on public transportation.
The decision was a result of a 2022 lawsuit filed by four people who alleged the section of Illinois’ concealed carry law which prohibits concealed carry on public transportation violated their Second Amendment right to self-defense under the U.S. Constitution. The ruling applies only to the plaintiffs in the case. The opinion is here. Read more here and here.
CGFA Report: The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability issued its August Report which includes, among other items, information on August revenue. Describing the month’s receipts as “lackluster”, the Commission noted that August revenue rose only $50 million or 1.5% over the same month last year. Personal Income Tax receipts fell $54 million ($46 million net) while Corporate Income Tax rose $8 million ($6 million net). Sales tax receipts were $31 million ($12 million net) or 3.1% below last August’s levels.