Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB0726
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Full Text of SB0726  103rd General Assembly

SB0726enr 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
SB0726 EnrolledLRB103 03199 CPF 48205 b

1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing and
5renumbering Section 2-3.196, as added by Public Act 103-546,
6as follows:
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.203)
8    Sec. 2-3.203 2-3.196. Mental health screenings.
9    (a) On or before December 15, 2023, the State Board of
10Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral
11Health Transformation Officer, Children's Behavioral Health
12Transformation Team, and the Office of the Governor, shall
13file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly that
14includes recommendations for implementation of mental health
15screenings in schools for students enrolled in kindergarten
16through grade 12. This report must include a landscape scan of
17current district-wide screenings, recommendations for
18screening tools, training for staff, and linkage and referral
19for identified students.
20    (b) On or before October 1, 2024, the State Board of
21Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral
22Health Transformation Team, the Office of the Governor, and
23relevant stakeholders as needed shall release a strategy that

 

 

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1includes a tool for measuring capacity and readiness to
2implement universal mental health screening of students. The
3strategy shall build upon existing efforts to understand
4district needs for resources, technology, training, and
5infrastructure supports. The strategy shall include a
6framework for supporting districts in a phased approach to
7implement universal mental health screenings. The State Board
8of Education shall issue a report to the Governor and the
9General Assembly on school district readiness and plan for
10phased approach to universal mental health screening of
11students on or before April 1, 2025.
12(Source: P.A. 103-546, eff. 8-11-23; revised 9-25-23.)
 
13    (105 ILCS 155/Act rep.)
14    Section 10. The Wellness Checks in Schools Program Act is
15repealed.
 
16    Section 15. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
17changing Section 5-30.1 as follows:
 
18    (305 ILCS 5/5-30.1)
19    Sec. 5-30.1. Managed care protections.
20    (a) As used in this Section:
21    "Managed care organization" or "MCO" means any entity
22which contracts with the Department to provide services where
23payment for medical services is made on a capitated basis.

 

 

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1    "Emergency services" include:
2        (1) emergency services, as defined by Section 10 of
3    the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act;
4        (2) emergency medical screening examinations, as
5    defined by Section 10 of the Managed Care Reform and
6    Patient Rights Act;
7        (3) post-stabilization medical services, as defined by
8    Section 10 of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights
9    Act; and
10        (4) emergency medical conditions, as defined by
11    Section 10 of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights
12    Act.
13    (b) As provided by Section 5-16.12, managed care
14organizations are subject to the provisions of the Managed
15Care Reform and Patient Rights Act.
16    (c) An MCO shall pay any provider of emergency services
17that does not have in effect a contract with the contracted
18Medicaid MCO. The default rate of reimbursement shall be the
19rate paid under Illinois Medicaid fee-for-service program
20methodology, including all policy adjusters, including but not
21limited to Medicaid High Volume Adjustments, Medicaid
22Percentage Adjustments, Outpatient High Volume Adjustments,
23and all outlier add-on adjustments to the extent such
24adjustments are incorporated in the development of the
25applicable MCO capitated rates.
26    (d) An MCO shall pay for all post-stabilization services

 

 

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1as a covered service in any of the following situations:
2        (1) the MCO authorized such services;
3        (2) such services were administered to maintain the
4    enrollee's stabilized condition within one hour after a
5    request to the MCO for authorization of further
6    post-stabilization services;
7        (3) the MCO did not respond to a request to authorize
8    such services within one hour;
9        (4) the MCO could not be contacted; or
10        (5) the MCO and the treating provider, if the treating
11    provider is a non-affiliated provider, could not reach an
12    agreement concerning the enrollee's care and an affiliated
13    provider was unavailable for a consultation, in which case
14    the MCO must pay for such services rendered by the
15    treating non-affiliated provider until an affiliated
16    provider was reached and either concurred with the
17    treating non-affiliated provider's plan of care or assumed
18    responsibility for the enrollee's care. Such payment shall
19    be made at the default rate of reimbursement paid under
20    Illinois Medicaid fee-for-service program methodology,
21    including all policy adjusters, including but not limited
22    to Medicaid High Volume Adjustments, Medicaid Percentage
23    Adjustments, Outpatient High Volume Adjustments and all
24    outlier add-on adjustments to the extent that such
25    adjustments are incorporated in the development of the
26    applicable MCO capitated rates.

 

 

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1    (e) The following requirements apply to MCOs in
2determining payment for all emergency services:
3        (1) MCOs shall not impose any requirements for prior
4    approval of emergency services.
5        (2) The MCO shall cover emergency services provided to
6    enrollees who are temporarily away from their residence
7    and outside the contracting area to the extent that the
8    enrollees would be entitled to the emergency services if
9    they still were within the contracting area.
10        (3) The MCO shall have no obligation to cover medical
11    services provided on an emergency basis that are not
12    covered services under the contract.
13        (4) The MCO shall not condition coverage for emergency
14    services on the treating provider notifying the MCO of the
15    enrollee's screening and treatment within 10 days after
16    presentation for emergency services.
17        (5) The determination of the attending emergency
18    physician, or the provider actually treating the enrollee,
19    of whether an enrollee is sufficiently stabilized for
20    discharge or transfer to another facility, shall be
21    binding on the MCO. The MCO shall cover emergency services
22    for all enrollees whether the emergency services are
23    provided by an affiliated or non-affiliated provider.
24        (6) The MCO's financial responsibility for
25    post-stabilization care services it has not pre-approved
26    ends when:

 

 

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1            (A) a plan physician with privileges at the
2        treating hospital assumes responsibility for the
3        enrollee's care;
4            (B) a plan physician assumes responsibility for
5        the enrollee's care through transfer;
6            (C) a contracting entity representative and the
7        treating physician reach an agreement concerning the
8        enrollee's care; or
9            (D) the enrollee is discharged.
10    (f) Network adequacy and transparency.
11        (1) The Department shall:
12            (A) ensure that an adequate provider network is in
13        place, taking into consideration health professional
14        shortage areas and medically underserved areas;
15            (B) publicly release an explanation of its process
16        for analyzing network adequacy;
17            (C) periodically ensure that an MCO continues to
18        have an adequate network in place;
19            (D) require MCOs, including Medicaid Managed Care
20        Entities as defined in Section 5-30.2, to meet
21        provider directory requirements under Section 5-30.3;
22            (E) require MCOs to ensure that any
23        Medicaid-certified provider under contract with an MCO
24        and previously submitted on a roster on the date of
25        service is paid for any medically necessary,
26        Medicaid-covered, and authorized service rendered to

 

 

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1        any of the MCO's enrollees, regardless of inclusion on
2        the MCO's published and publicly available directory
3        of available providers; and
4            (F) require MCOs, including Medicaid Managed Care
5        Entities as defined in Section 5-30.2, to meet each of
6        the requirements under subsection (d-5) of Section 10
7        of the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act; with
8        necessary exceptions to the MCO's network to ensure
9        that admission and treatment with a provider or at a
10        treatment facility in accordance with the network
11        adequacy standards in paragraph (3) of subsection
12        (d-5) of Section 10 of the Network Adequacy and
13        Transparency Act is limited to providers or facilities
14        that are Medicaid certified.
15        (2) Each MCO shall confirm its receipt of information
16    submitted specific to physician or dentist additions or
17    physician or dentist deletions from the MCO's provider
18    network within 3 days after receiving all required
19    information from contracted physicians or dentists, and
20    electronic physician and dental directories must be
21    updated consistent with current rules as published by the
22    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or its
23    successor agency.
24    (g) Timely payment of claims.
25        (1) The MCO shall pay a claim within 30 days of
26    receiving a claim that contains all the essential

 

 

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1    information needed to adjudicate the claim.
2        (2) The MCO shall notify the billing party of its
3    inability to adjudicate a claim within 30 days of
4    receiving that claim.
5        (3) The MCO shall pay a penalty that is at least equal
6    to the timely payment interest penalty imposed under
7    Section 368a of the Illinois Insurance Code for any claims
8    not timely paid.
9            (A) When an MCO is required to pay a timely payment
10        interest penalty to a provider, the MCO must calculate
11        and pay the timely payment interest penalty that is
12        due to the provider within 30 days after the payment of
13        the claim. In no event shall a provider be required to
14        request or apply for payment of any owed timely
15        payment interest penalties.
16            (B) Such payments shall be reported separately
17        from the claim payment for services rendered to the
18        MCO's enrollee and clearly identified as interest
19        payments.
20        (4)(A) The Department shall require MCOs to expedite
21    payments to providers identified on the Department's
22    expedited provider list, determined in accordance with 89
23    Ill. Adm. Code 140.71(b), on a schedule at least as
24    frequently as the providers are paid under the
25    Department's fee-for-service expedited provider schedule.
26        (B) Compliance with the expedited provider requirement

 

 

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1    may be satisfied by an MCO through the use of a Periodic
2    Interim Payment (PIP) program that has been mutually
3    agreed to and documented between the MCO and the provider,
4    if the PIP program ensures that any expedited provider
5    receives regular and periodic payments based on prior
6    period payment experience from that MCO. Total payments
7    under the PIP program may be reconciled against future PIP
8    payments on a schedule mutually agreed to between the MCO
9    and the provider.
10        (C) The Department shall share at least monthly its
11    expedited provider list and the frequency with which it
12    pays providers on the expedited list.
13    (g-5) Recognizing that the rapid transformation of the
14Illinois Medicaid program may have unintended operational
15challenges for both payers and providers:
16        (1) in no instance shall a medically necessary covered
17    service rendered in good faith, based upon eligibility
18    information documented by the provider, be denied coverage
19    or diminished in payment amount if the eligibility or
20    coverage information available at the time the service was
21    rendered is later found to be inaccurate in the assignment
22    of coverage responsibility between MCOs or the
23    fee-for-service system, except for instances when an
24    individual is deemed to have not been eligible for
25    coverage under the Illinois Medicaid program; and
26        (2) the Department shall, by December 31, 2016, adopt

 

 

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1    rules establishing policies that shall be included in the
2    Medicaid managed care policy and procedures manual
3    addressing payment resolutions in situations in which a
4    provider renders services based upon information obtained
5    after verifying a patient's eligibility and coverage plan
6    through either the Department's current enrollment system
7    or a system operated by the coverage plan identified by
8    the patient presenting for services:
9            (A) such medically necessary covered services
10        shall be considered rendered in good faith;
11            (B) such policies and procedures shall be
12        developed in consultation with industry
13        representatives of the Medicaid managed care health
14        plans and representatives of provider associations
15        representing the majority of providers within the
16        identified provider industry; and
17            (C) such rules shall be published for a review and
18        comment period of no less than 30 days on the
19        Department's website with final rules remaining
20        available on the Department's website.
21        The rules on payment resolutions shall include, but
22    not be limited to:
23            (A) the extension of the timely filing period;
24            (B) retroactive prior authorizations; and
25            (C) guaranteed minimum payment rate of no less
26        than the current, as of the date of service,

 

 

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1        fee-for-service rate, plus all applicable add-ons,
2        when the resulting service relationship is out of
3        network.
4        The rules shall be applicable for both MCO coverage
5    and fee-for-service coverage.
6    If the fee-for-service system is ultimately determined to
7have been responsible for coverage on the date of service, the
8Department shall provide for an extended period for claims
9submission outside the standard timely filing requirements.
10    (g-6) MCO Performance Metrics Report.
11        (1) The Department shall publish, on at least a
12    quarterly basis, each MCO's operational performance,
13    including, but not limited to, the following categories of
14    metrics:
15            (A) claims payment, including timeliness and
16        accuracy;
17            (B) prior authorizations;
18            (C) grievance and appeals;
19            (D) utilization statistics;
20            (E) provider disputes;
21            (F) provider credentialing; and
22            (G) member and provider customer service.
23        (2) The Department shall ensure that the metrics
24    report is accessible to providers online by January 1,
25    2017.
26        (3) The metrics shall be developed in consultation

 

 

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1    with industry representatives of the Medicaid managed care
2    health plans and representatives of associations
3    representing the majority of providers within the
4    identified industry.
5        (4) Metrics shall be defined and incorporated into the
6    applicable Managed Care Policy Manual issued by the
7    Department.
8    (g-7) MCO claims processing and performance analysis. In
9order to monitor MCO payments to hospital providers, pursuant
10to Public Act 100-580, the Department shall post an analysis
11of MCO claims processing and payment performance on its
12website every 6 months. Such analysis shall include a review
13and evaluation of a representative sample of hospital claims
14that are rejected and denied for clean and unclean claims and
15the top 5 reasons for such actions and timeliness of claims
16adjudication, which identifies the percentage of claims
17adjudicated within 30, 60, 90, and over 90 days, and the dollar
18amounts associated with those claims.
19    (g-8) Dispute resolution process. The Department shall
20maintain a provider complaint portal through which a provider
21can submit to the Department unresolved disputes with an MCO.
22An unresolved dispute means an MCO's decision that denies in
23whole or in part a claim for reimbursement to a provider for
24health care services rendered by the provider to an enrollee
25of the MCO with which the provider disagrees. Disputes shall
26not be submitted to the portal until the provider has availed

 

 

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1itself of the MCO's internal dispute resolution process.
2Disputes that are submitted to the MCO internal dispute
3resolution process may be submitted to the Department of
4Healthcare and Family Services' complaint portal no sooner
5than 30 days after submitting to the MCO's internal process
6and not later than 30 days after the unsatisfactory resolution
7of the internal MCO process or 60 days after submitting the
8dispute to the MCO internal process. Multiple claim disputes
9involving the same MCO may be submitted in one complaint,
10regardless of whether the claims are for different enrollees,
11when the specific reason for non-payment of the claims
12involves a common question of fact or policy. Within 10
13business days of receipt of a complaint, the Department shall
14present such disputes to the appropriate MCO, which shall then
15have 30 days to issue its written proposal to resolve the
16dispute. The Department may grant one 30-day extension of this
17time frame to one of the parties to resolve the dispute. If the
18dispute remains unresolved at the end of this time frame or the
19provider is not satisfied with the MCO's written proposal to
20resolve the dispute, the provider may, within 30 days, request
21the Department to review the dispute and make a final
22determination. Within 30 days of the request for Department
23review of the dispute, both the provider and the MCO shall
24present all relevant information to the Department for
25resolution and make individuals with knowledge of the issues
26available to the Department for further inquiry if needed.

 

 

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1Within 30 days of receiving the relevant information on the
2dispute, or the lapse of the period for submitting such
3information, the Department shall issue a written decision on
4the dispute based on contractual terms between the provider
5and the MCO, contractual terms between the MCO and the
6Department of Healthcare and Family Services and applicable
7Medicaid policy. The decision of the Department shall be
8final. By January 1, 2020, the Department shall establish by
9rule further details of this dispute resolution process.
10Disputes between MCOs and providers presented to the
11Department for resolution are not contested cases, as defined
12in Section 1-30 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act,
13conferring any right to an administrative hearing.
14    (g-9)(1) The Department shall publish annually on its
15website a report on the calculation of each managed care
16organization's medical loss ratio showing the following:
17        (A) Premium revenue, with appropriate adjustments.
18        (B) Benefit expense, setting forth the aggregate
19    amount spent for the following:
20            (i) Direct paid claims.
21            (ii) Subcapitation payments.
22            (iii) Other claim payments.
23            (iv) Direct reserves.
24            (v) Gross recoveries.
25            (vi) Expenses for activities that improve health
26        care quality as allowed by the Department.

 

 

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1    (2) The medical loss ratio shall be calculated consistent
2with federal law and regulation following a claims runout
3period determined by the Department.
4    (g-10)(1) "Liability effective date" means the date on
5which an MCO becomes responsible for payment for medically
6necessary and covered services rendered by a provider to one
7of its enrollees in accordance with the contract terms between
8the MCO and the provider. The liability effective date shall
9be the later of:
10        (A) The execution date of a network participation
11    contract agreement.
12        (B) The date the provider or its representative
13    submits to the MCO the complete and accurate standardized
14    roster form for the provider in the format approved by the
15    Department.
16        (C) The provider effective date contained within the
17    Department's provider enrollment subsystem within the
18    Illinois Medicaid Program Advanced Cloud Technology
19    (IMPACT) System.
20    (2) The standardized roster form may be submitted to the
21MCO at the same time that the provider submits an enrollment
22application to the Department through IMPACT.
23    (3) By October 1, 2019, the Department shall require all
24MCOs to update their provider directory with information for
25new practitioners of existing contracted providers within 30
26days of receipt of a complete and accurate standardized roster

 

 

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1template in the format approved by the Department provided
2that the provider is effective in the Department's provider
3enrollment subsystem within the IMPACT system. Such provider
4directory shall be readily accessible for purposes of
5selecting an approved health care provider and comply with all
6other federal and State requirements.
7    (g-11) The Department shall work with relevant
8stakeholders on the development of operational guidelines to
9enhance and improve operational performance of Illinois'
10Medicaid managed care program, including, but not limited to,
11improving provider billing practices, reducing claim
12rejections and inappropriate payment denials, and
13standardizing processes, procedures, definitions, and response
14timelines, with the goal of reducing provider and MCO
15administrative burdens and conflict. The Department shall
16include a report on the progress of these program improvements
17and other topics in its Fiscal Year 2020 annual report to the
18General Assembly.
19    (g-12) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the
20Department or an MCO requires submission of a claim for
21payment in a non-electronic format, a provider shall always be
22afforded a period of no less than 90 business days, as a
23correction period, following any notification of rejection by
24either the Department or the MCO to correct errors or
25omissions in the original submission.
26    Under no circumstances, either by an MCO or under the

 

 

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1State's fee-for-service system, shall a provider be denied
2payment for failure to comply with any timely submission
3requirements under this Code or under any existing contract,
4unless the non-electronic format claim submission occurs after
5the initial 180 days following the latest date of service on
6the claim, or after the 90 business days correction period
7following notification to the provider of rejection or denial
8of payment.
9    (h) The Department shall not expand mandatory MCO
10enrollment into new counties beyond those counties already
11designated by the Department as of June 1, 2014 for the
12individuals whose eligibility for medical assistance is not
13the seniors or people with disabilities population until the
14Department provides an opportunity for accountable care
15entities and MCOs to participate in such newly designated
16counties.
17    (h-5) Leading indicator data sharing. By January 1, 2024,
18the Department shall obtain input from the Department of Human
19Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department
20of Children and Family Services, the State Board of Education,
21managed care organizations, providers, and clinical experts to
22identify and analyze key indicators and data elements that can
23be used in an analysis of lead indicators from assessments and
24data sets available to the Department that can be shared with
25managed care organizations and similar care coordination
26entities contracted with the Department as leading indicators

 

 

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1for elevated behavioral health crisis risk for children,
2including data sets such as the Illinois Medicaid
3Comprehensive Assessment of Needs and Strengths (IM-CANS),
4calls made to the State's Crisis and Referral Entry Services
5(CARES) hotline, health services information from Health and
6Human Services Innovators, or other data sets that may include
7key indicators. The workgroup shall complete its
8recommendations for leading indicator data elements on or
9before September 1, 2024. To the extent permitted by State and
10federal law, the identified leading indicators shall be shared
11with managed care organizations and similar care coordination
12entities contracted with the Department on or before December
131, 2024 within 6 months of identification for the purpose of
14improving care coordination with the early detection of
15elevated risk. Leading indicators shall be reassessed annually
16with stakeholder input. The Department shall implement
17guidance to managed care organizations and similar care
18coordination entities contracted with the Department, so that
19the managed care organizations and care coordination entities
20respond to lead indicators with services and interventions
21that are designed to help stabilize the child.
22    (i) The requirements of this Section apply to contracts
23with accountable care entities and MCOs entered into, amended,
24or renewed after June 16, 2014 (the effective date of Public
25Act 98-651).
26    (j) Health care information released to managed care

 

 

SB0726 Enrolled- 19 -LRB103 03199 CPF 48205 b

1organizations. A health care provider shall release to a
2Medicaid managed care organization, upon request, and subject
3to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
41996 and any other law applicable to the release of health
5information, the health care information of the MCO's
6enrollee, if the enrollee has completed and signed a general
7release form that grants to the health care provider
8permission to release the recipient's health care information
9to the recipient's insurance carrier.
10    (k) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services,
11managed care organizations, a statewide organization
12representing hospitals, and a statewide organization
13representing safety-net hospitals shall explore ways to
14support billing departments in safety-net hospitals.
15    (l) The requirements of this Section added by Public Act
16102-4 shall apply to services provided on or after the first
17day of the month that begins 60 days after April 27, 2021 (the
18effective date of Public Act 102-4).
19(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21; 102-43, eff. 7-6-21;
20102-144, eff. 1-1-22; 102-454, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff.
215-13-22; 103-546, eff. 8-11-23.)
 
22    Section 20. The Children's Mental Health Act is amended by
23changing Section 5 as follows:
 
24    (405 ILCS 49/5)

 

 

SB0726 Enrolled- 20 -LRB103 03199 CPF 48205 b

1    Sec. 5. Children's Mental Health Partnership; Children's
2Mental Health Plan.
3    (a) The Children's Mental Health Partnership (hereafter
4referred to as "the Partnership") created under Public Act
593-495 and continued under Public Act 102-899 shall advise
6State agencies and the Children's Behavioral Health
7Transformation Initiative on designing and implementing
8short-term and long-term strategies to provide comprehensive
9and coordinated services for children from birth to age 25 and
10their families with the goal of addressing children's mental
11health needs across a full continuum of care, including social
12determinants of health, prevention, early identification, and
13treatment. The recommended strategies shall build upon the
14recommendations in the Children's Mental Health Plan of 2022
15and may include, but are not limited to, recommendations
16regarding the following:
17        (1) Increasing public awareness on issues connected to
18    children's mental health and wellness to decrease stigma,
19    promote acceptance, and strengthen the ability of
20    children, families, and communities to access supports.
21        (2) Coordination of programs, services, and policies
22    across child-serving State agencies to best monitor and
23    assess spending, as well as foster innovation of adaptive
24    or new practices.
25        (3) Funding and resources for children's mental health
26    prevention, early identification, and treatment across

 

 

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1    child-serving State agencies.
2        (4) Facilitation of research on best practices and
3    model programs and dissemination of this information to
4    State policymakers, practitioners, and the general public.
5        (5) Monitoring programs, services, and policies
6    addressing children's mental health and wellness.
7        (6) Growing, retaining, diversifying, and supporting
8    the child-serving workforce, with special emphasis on
9    professional development around child and family mental
10    health and wellness services.
11        (7) Supporting the design, implementation, and
12    evaluation of a quality-driven children's mental health
13    system of care across all child services that prevents
14    mental health concerns and mitigates trauma.
15        (8) Improving the system to more effectively meet the
16    emergency and residential placement needs for all children
17    with severe mental and behavioral challenges.
18    (b) The Partnership shall have the responsibility of
19developing and updating the Children's Mental Health Plan and
20advising the relevant State agencies on implementation of the
21Plan. The Children's Mental Health Partnership shall be
22comprised of the following members:
23        (1) The Governor or his or her designee.
24        (2) The Attorney General or his or her designee.
25        (3) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services
26    or his or her designee.

 

 

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1        (4) The State Superintendent of Education or his or
2    her designee.
3        (5) The Director of the Department of Children and
4    Family Services or his or her designee.
5        (6) The Director of the Department of Healthcare and
6    Family Services or his or her designee.
7        (7) The Director of the Department of Public Health or
8    his or her designee.
9        (8) The Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice
10    or his or her designee.
11        (9) The Executive Director of the Governor's Office of
12    Early Childhood Development or his or her designee.
13        (10) The Director of the Criminal Justice Information
14    Authority or his or her designee.
15        (11) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
16    the Speaker of the House.
17        (12) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
18    the President of the Senate.
19        (13) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
20    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
21        (14) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
22    the Minority Leader of the House.
23        (15) Up to 25 representatives from the public
24    reflecting a diversity of age, gender identity, race,
25    ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location,
26    to be appointed by the Governor. Those public members

 

 

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1    appointed under this paragraph must include, but are not
2    limited to:
3            (A) a family member or individual with lived
4        experience in the children's mental health system;
5            (B) a child advocate;
6            (C) a community mental health expert,
7        practitioner, or provider;
8            (D) a representative of a statewide association
9        representing a majority of hospitals in the State;
10            (E) an early childhood expert or practitioner;
11            (F) a representative from the K-12 school system;
12            (G) a representative from the healthcare sector;
13            (H) a substance use prevention expert or
14        practitioner, or a representative of a statewide
15        association representing community-based mental health
16        substance use disorder treatment providers in the
17        State;
18            (I) a violence prevention expert or practitioner;
19            (J) a representative from the juvenile justice
20        system;
21            (K) a school social worker; and
22            (L) a representative of a statewide organization
23        representing pediatricians.
24        (16) Two co-chairs appointed by the Governor, one
25    being a representative from the public and one being the
26    Director of Public Health a representative from the State.

 

 

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1    The members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed
2for 4 years with one opportunity for reappointment, except as
3otherwise provided for in this subsection. Members who were
4appointed by the Governor and are serving on January 1, 2023
5(the effective date of Public Act 102-899) shall maintain
6their appointment until the term of their appointment has
7expired. For new appointments made pursuant to Public Act
8102-899, members shall be appointed for one-year, 2-year, or
94-year terms, as determined by the Governor, with no more than
109 of the Governor's new or existing appointees serving the
11same term. Those new appointments serving a one-year or 2-year
12term may be appointed to 2 additional 4-year terms. If a
13vacancy occurs in the Partnership membership, the vacancy
14shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
15for the remainder of the term.
16    The Partnership shall be convened no later than January
1731, 2023 to discuss the changes in Public Act 102-899.
18    The members of the Partnership shall serve without
19compensation but may be entitled to reimbursement for all
20necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
21official duties as members of the Partnership from funds
22appropriated for that purpose.
23    The Partnership may convene and appoint special committees
24or study groups to operate under the direction of the
25Partnership. Persons appointed to such special committees or
26study groups shall only receive reimbursement for reasonable

 

 

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1expenses.
2    (b-5) The Partnership shall include an adjunct council
3comprised of no more than 6 youth aged 14 to 25 and 4
4representatives of 4 different community-based organizations
5that focus on youth mental health. Of the community-based
6organizations that focus on youth mental health, one of the
7community-based organizations shall be led by an
8LGBTQ-identified person, one of the community-based
9organizations shall be led by a person of color, and one of the
10community-based organizations shall be led by a woman. Of the
11representatives appointed to the council from the
12community-based organizations, at least one representative
13shall be LGBTQ-identified, at least one representative shall
14be a person of color, and at least one representative shall be
15a woman. The council members shall be appointed by the Chair of
16the Partnership and shall reflect the racial, gender identity,
17sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic, ethnic, and
18geographic diversity of the State, including rural, suburban,
19and urban appointees. The council shall make recommendations
20to the Partnership regarding youth mental health, including,
21but not limited to, identifying barriers to youth feeling
22supported by and empowered by the system of mental health and
23treatment providers, barriers perceived by youth in accessing
24mental health services, gaps in the mental health system,
25available resources in schools, including youth's perceptions
26and experiences with outreach personnel, agency websites, and

 

 

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1informational materials, methods to destigmatize mental health
2services, and how to improve State policy concerning student
3mental health. The mental health system may include services
4for substance use disorders and addiction. The council shall
5meet at least 4 times annually.
6    (c) (Blank).
7    (d) The Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership has
8the following powers and duties:
9        (1) Conducting research assessments to determine the
10    needs and gaps of programs, services, and policies that
11    touch children's mental health.
12        (2) Developing policy statements for interagency
13    cooperation to cover all aspects of mental health
14    delivery, including social determinants of health,
15    prevention, early identification, and treatment.
16        (3) Recommending policies and providing information on
17    effective programs for delivery of mental health services.
18        (4) Using funding from federal, State, or
19    philanthropic partners, to fund pilot programs or research
20    activities to resource innovative practices by
21    organizational partners that will address children's
22    mental health. However, the Partnership may not provide
23    direct services.
24        (4.1) The Partnership shall work with community
25    networks and the Children's Behavioral Health
26    Transformation Initiative team to implement a community

 

 

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1    needs assessment, that will raise awareness of gaps in
2    existing community-based services for youth.
3        (5) Submitting an annual report, on or before December
4    30 of each year, to the Governor and the General Assembly
5    on the progress of the Plan, any recommendations regarding
6    State policies, laws, or rules necessary to fulfill the
7    purposes of the Act, and any additional recommendations
8    regarding mental or behavioral health that the Partnership
9    deems necessary.
10        (6) (Blank). Employing an Executive Director and
11    setting the compensation of the Executive Director and
12    other such employees and technical assistance as it deems
13    necessary to carry out its duties under this Section.
14    The Partnership may designate a fiscal and administrative
15agent that can accept funds to carry out its duties as outlined
16in this Section.
17    The Department of Public Health Healthcare and Family
18Services shall provide technical and administrative support
19for the Partnership.
20    (e) The Partnership may accept monetary gifts or grants
21from the federal government or any agency thereof, from any
22charitable foundation or professional association, or from any
23reputable source for implementation of any program necessary
24or desirable to carry out the powers and duties as defined
25under this Section.
26    (f) On or before January 1, 2027, the Partnership shall

 

 

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1submit recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly
2that includes recommended updates to the Act to reflect the
3current mental health landscape in this State.
4(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-116, eff. 7-23-21;
5102-899, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1034, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff.
66-30-23.)
 
7    Section 25. The Interagency Children's Behavioral Health
8Services Act is amended by adding Section 6 as follows:
 
9    (405 ILCS 165/6 new)
10    Sec. 6. Personal support workers. The Children's
11Behavioral Health Transformation Team in collaboration with
12the Department of Human Services shall develop a program to
13provide one-on-one in-home respite behavioral health aids to
14youth requiring intensive supervision due to behavioral health
15needs.
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.