Sen. Andy Manar

Amends the Currency Exchange Act. Requires that an applicant for a license to operate a currency exchange must provide a statement that the business is in good standing with the State of Illinois and in compliance with the Department of Revenue. Repeals a provision that allows community currency exchanges and ambulatory currency exchanges to engage in distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and a provision that prohibits community currency exchanges and ambulatory currency exchanges from issuing tokens to be used instead of money for the purchase of goods or services from any enterprise.

Amends the Downstate and Chicago Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code to require school districts to pay the employer normal cost of benefits beginning in fiscal year 2021. Amends the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act to appropriate from the Common School Fund to the State Board of Education, on a continuing annual basis beginning with fiscal year 2021, the amount certified as the employer normal cost, to be distributed by the State Board of Education under the evidence-based funding formula provisions of the School Code. Amends the evidence-based funding formula provisions of the School Code to make changes concerning the employee benefit investments calculation and the Base Funding Minimum calculation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may not reimburse a pharmacist or pharmacy for a prescription drug or pharmacy service in an amount less than the amount the pharmacy benefit manager reimburses itself or an affiliate for the same prescription drug or pharmacy service. Provides that the Section applies to insurers that provide coverage for prescription drugs and pharmacy services, including through a pharmacy benefit manager. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that a pharmacist or his or her authorized employee must disclose to the consumer at the point of sale the current pharmacy retail price for each prescription medication the consumer intends to purchase. If the consumer's cost-sharing amount for a prescription exceeds the current pharmacy retail price, the pharmacist or his or her authorized employee must disclose to the consumer that the pharmacy retail price is less than the patient's cost-sharing amount. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer who may claim a qualifying student as a dependent is allowed a credit of up to $2,000 for qualified tuition and fee expenses paid by the taxpayer. Provides that the term qualifying student means a person who (i) is a resident of the State, (ii) is under the age of 24 at the close of the school year for which a credit is sought, and (iii) during the school year for which a credit is sought, is a full-time student enrolled in a program at a qualifying college or university.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Removes a provision limiting consumers to 10 requests for disclosure of the current usual and customary retail price of prescription drugs or medical devices for which the person making the request has a prescription. Provides that a pharmacy must post a notice informing customers that they may request, in person or by telephone, the current usual and customary retail price of any brand or generic prescription drug or medical device that the pharmacy offers for sale to the public.

Amends the Illinois State Auditing Act. Provides that federal tax information disclosed under the Act shall only be provided in accordance with federal law and regulation applicable to the safeguarding of federal tax information. Provides that the specified requirements concerning confidentiality of information apply to contractors of the Office of the Auditor General. Removes prior provisions concerning the release of confidential income tax records. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the furnishing upon request of the Auditor General, or his or her authorized agents, for official use of tax returns filed and information related thereto under the Act is deemed to be an official purpose within the Department of Revenue for the purposes of confidentiality and information sharing. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that any foster child 6 years old or younger who participates in the Family Case Management program established under the Illinois Family Case Management Act, shall be exempt from the State's Medicaid managed care program for those services that are provided by local health departments, federally qualified health centers, and local community-based agencies under the Family Case Management program. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to refer foster children to the Department of Human Services for participation in the Family Case Management program for specified services and care, including, but not limited to: (i) prenatal care; (ii) early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment services; and (iii) other specialized services for families with additional challenges and needs. Provides that foster children shall also receive case management services under the Family Case Management program that involve individualized assessment of needs, planning of services, referral, monitoring, and advocacy to assist a client in gaining access to appropriate services.

Amends the Herptiles-Herps Act. Modifies the definition of "Special use herptile" and adds "Consumptive use" and "Herptoculture" to the definitions in the Act.

Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that the requirements established under the Act do not apply to State shared revenues distributed by formula to units of local government from the Local Government Distributive Fund, the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund, the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, or the Transportation Renewal Fund. Effective immediately.