Have you caught World Cup fever yet? Big USA game tomorrow morning. Quick, someone give me a reason to temporarily dislike the Dutch.
Veto Week 2
The second week of Veto felt more like a normal session week. It was nice to return to in person committee meetings in both legislative chambers.
The big news of this week was a compromise on Unemployment Insurance between business and labor using the agreed bill process. The process, which has been around for nearly four decades, requires business and labor leaders to sit down with legislators in all four caucuses to work out a deal. This negotiated solution will save employers $913 million over the next five years.
Make no mistake, the UI program was in trouble. The trust fund was facing a $4.5 billion deficit, a loss of more than $6 billion since the pandemic forced layoffs. The Chamber identified this as the biggest business issue facing the state at the start of the year. We are thankful for this solution and grateful for the legislative leaders and the people participating in the process. Over 30 employer groups participated in the process including the Chamber, IRMA, and IMA. We hope the successful outcome of this process serves as a model for tackling more of the state’s problems.
For more information on this compromise, the position paper of the joint employers can be found HERE.
Committee Updates
The Senate Insurance Committee met on Tuesday afternoon. There was one bill posted HB 3080 (Flowers-Fine). The bill, which was amended in Senate FA 1, can be called a mandate and it applies to coverage of PANDAS/PANs a pediatric disease. The Chamber slipped in opposition of the mandate as their was no cap on the mandate- even if the patient was no longer benefiting from the treatment.
An agreement was reached in FA 2 that removed all opposition, including from the Chamber, the Insurance Association and others. The agreed bill sailed through the Senate and as of late Thursday evening, sits in favorable position in the House.
New Legislation of Note
SB 4245 (Simmons) - Creates the Gender-Affirming Health Care Protection Act. Restricts the State from: (1) applying a law of another state that authorizes civil or criminal penalties against any person for providing, authorizing, aiding, assisting, receiving, or otherwise allowing a child to receive gender-affirming care or referring a child for such care; (2) enforcing or satisfying a civil judgment received under a law of another state that authorizes civil or criminal penalties against any person for providing, authorizing, aiding, assisting, receiving, or otherwise allowing a child to receive gender-affirming care or referring a child for such care; or (3) aiding or intentionally participating in a criminal investigation, arrest, search, or detention of an individual pursuant to a criminal law of another state that authorizes civil or criminal penalties against any person for providing, authorizing, aiding, assisting, receiving, or otherwise allowing a child to receive gender-affirming care or referring a child for such care. Restricts a subpoena from being issued if the subpoena is based on a violation of another state's laws that interfere with a person's right to allow a child to receive gender-affirming care. Restricts a person or entity from releasing medical information based on another state's laws that authorizes a person to bring a civil action against a person or entity that allows a child to receive gender-affirming care.
Illinois Chamber New BIPA Amicus Brief: Walton v. Roosevelt
The Illinois Supreme Court has accepted the Illinois Chamber’s Amicus Brief in the BIPA case, Walton v. Roosevelt. In this case, the issue is whether the federal Labor Management Relations Act preempts BIPA. We argue that it does. You can read the full brief: HERE.
A hearty thanks to Matt and Melissa and all our friends at Shook, Hardy & Bacon for their work on this critical issue.
CDC Awards State of Illinois $86 Million Public Health Grant
Yesterday afternoon, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the State of Illinois has been awarded $86 million in federal funding to strengthen the state’s public health workforce and infrastructure. This first-of-its-kind funding from the CDC will support efforts by IDPH and its local health department partners to promote and protect health and address health disparities in communities throughout Illinois.
The funding from the American Rescue Plan Act will support efforts to recruit, retain, and train the public health workforce, including critical frontline workers such as epidemiologists, contact tracers, laboratory scientists, community health workers, and data analysts. In addition to $86 million over five years in funding to IDPH and local health departments, the CDC announced $28 million for the Chicago Department of Public Health.
IDPH will use the funding to create pipelines into critical public health positions, retain existing employees through efforts to reduce employee burnout, and provide a variety of training opportunities to improve workforce skills. The grant is intended to address urgent and ongoing public health needs in communities that are economically or socially marginalized, in rural communities, and communities with people from racial and ethnic minority groups.
Hospital Rulemaking Issued
The DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH adopted amendments to Hospital Licensing Requirements (77 IAC 250; 46 Ill Reg 11279) effective 11/10/22 that establish a process for reinstating a hospital’s operations after the hospital has been suspended due to violations of the Hospital Licensing Act, violations of federal Medicare rules, or termination from the Medicare program.
