Healthcare

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. Requires individual residents to be assessed prior to admission using assessment tools that are approved or recommended by recognized Alzheimer's and dementia care experts, ensuring that the tools are validated for accurately identifying and evaluating cognitive impairments related to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Provides that these tools shall be reviewed and updated as needed to align with current best practices and clinical standards in dementia care.

Amends the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Law. Provides that the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange shall allow a special enrollment period for an uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's qualified dependents, if applicable, if the uninsured taxpayer requested health insurance benefit information through the easy enrollment program under the Illinois Income Tax Act and the uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's qualified dependents, if applicable, are eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan through the Exchange. Establishes notification requirements for the Exchange. Provides that the uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's dependents shall have 60 days from the date of the letter to select and enroll in a qualified health plan. Provides that coverage shall be effective the first day of the month that follows the plan selection. Grants the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services rulemaking authority to implement an easy enrollment special enrollment period. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Provides that the circuit court has jurisdiction under the Admission, Transfer and Discharge Procedures for the Mentally Ill Chapter of the Code over persons not charged with a felony who are subject to involuntary admission on an inpatient basis. Provides that the circuit court has jurisdiction over all persons who are subject to involuntary admission on an outpatient basis under the Admission on an Outpatient Basis by Court Order Article of that Chapter of the Code, whether or not they are charged with a felony. Provides that a petition that the respondent is subject to involuntary admission on an outpatient basis must be accompanied by one certificate (rather than 2 certificates) of a physician, qualified examiner, psychiatrist, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or clinical psychologist which certifies that the respondent is subject to involuntary admission on an outpatient basis. Provides that a court order placing the respondent in the care and custody of a relative or other person willing and able to properly care for him or her or committing the respondent to alternative treatment at a community mental health provider may include provisions requiring that the respondent participate in: case management services, individual or group therapy, day or partial day programs, educational or vocational training, supervised living, assertive community treatment team services, substance use disorder treatment and testing and any other service that would help prevent relapse or deterioration resulting in hospitalization. Provides that psychotropic medication or electroconvulsive therapy and accompanying tests may be ordered only pursuant to the administration of psychotropic medication and electroconvulsive therapy upon application to a court provisions of the Code. Provides that the court may also order the custodian or treatment provider to file periodic reports with the court, and provide copies to the State's Attorney and respondent's counsel, reflecting the respondent's participation in treatment and his or her clinical condition.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, all 9-1-1 telecommunicators who provide dispatch for emergency medical conditions shall be required to be trained, utilizing the most current nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines, in high-quality telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR). Defines telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the purposes of the provisions.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Makes changes to a provision concerning initial Department of Human Services investigations of a facility employee's alleged abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a recipient of mental health or developmental disability services. Expands the provision to include allegations of material obstruction of an investigation, physical abuse, sexual abuse, non-de minimis financial exploitation (such as financial exploitation totaling a cumulative value equal to or greater than $100), or egregious neglect. Adds provisions concerning Department investigations where a facility employee is the perpetrator of, at most, neglect, de minimis financial exploitation (such as financial exploitation totaling a cumulative value of less than $100), or mental abuse.

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that on and after January 1, 2026, a person may not sell, distribute, or offer for sale baby food in the State that contains toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Defines "toxic heavy metal" as arsenic, cadmium, lead, or mercury and defines other terms. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, each manufacturer of baby food shall test a representative sample of each production aggregate of the manufacturer's final baby food product for each toxic heavy metal. Requires monthly testing. Beginning January 1, 2027, requires each manufacturer of baby food to make certain information publicly available. Provides that if a consumer believes, based on information gathered through the use of the code included on the baby food product label, that baby food is being sold in the State with toxic heavy metals that exceed limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the consumer may report that baby food to the Department of Public Health.

Amends the County Department of Corrections Division of the Counties Code, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the County Jail Act. Provides that, upon the release of a prisoner or committed person from a county correctional institution, county jail, or Department of Corrections correctional institution or facility, the sheriff, warden, or Department shall provide the prisoner or committed person with an opioid antagonist if the prisoner was incarcerated for drug-related charges or was identified as having a substance abuse disorder.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that a certified nurse midwife with full practice authority may enter into a written collaborative agreement with an advanced practice registered nurse. Provides that an advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse midwife may enter into a written collaborative agreement with an advanced practice registered nurse with full practice authority who is certified as a nurse midwife or a physician. Provides that, for an advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse midwife, the clinical experience shall be in collaboration with a certified nurse midwife with full practice authority. Makes conforming changes in provisions concerning written collaborative agreements, prescriptive authority under a written collaborative agreement, and full practice authority.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Changes the repeal date of the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2028. Amends the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act. Provides that an applicant for a license to dispense, test, select, recommend, fit, or service prescription hearing aids may take the written licensing examination no more than 4 times in any consecutive 12-month period. Allows a trainee license to be renewed once for an additional 6 months (was non-renewable). Provides that the changes to the Regulatory Sunset Act are effective immediately.

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, the Nursing Home Care Act, the MC/DD Act, the ID/DD Community Care Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the administrator of a facility or establishment under any of those Acts shall ensure that the facility or establishment has an automated external defibrillator and policies and procedures for the rendering of automated external defibrillation in the facility or establishment. Provides course requirements for persons certified to provide automated external defibrillation. Provides that a facility or establishment shall contract with or employ a physician who shall be the automated external defibrillation medical director for the facility or establishment and who shall oversee and coordinate specified requirements.