Public Act 0444 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0416 Enrolled LRB096 03643 DRJ 13671 b

Public Act 096-0444

AN ACT concerning public aid.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by changing Section 5B-4 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/5B-4) (from Ch. 23, par. 5B-4)

Sec. 5B-4. Payment of assessment; penalty.

(a) The assessment imposed by Section 5B-2 for a State fiscal year shall be due and payable in quarterly installments, each equalling one-fourth of the assessment for the year, on September 30, December 31, March 31, and June 30 of the year. The Illinois Department may provide that county nursing homes directed and maintained pursuant to Section 5-1005 of the Counties Code may meet their assessment obligation by certifying to the Illinois Department that county expenditures have been obligated for the operation of the county nursing home in an amount at least equal to the amount of the assessment.

(b) The Illinois Department is authorized to establish delayed payment schedules for long-term care providers that are unable to make installment payments when due under this Section due to financial difficulties, as determined by the Illinois Department.

(c) If a long-term care provider fails to pay the full amount of an installment when due (including any extensions granted under subsection (b)), there shall, unless waived by the Illinois Department for reasonable cause, be added to the assessment imposed by Section 5B-2 for the State fiscal year a penalty assessment equal to the lesser of (i) 5% of the amount of the installment not paid on or before the due date plus 5% of the portion thereof remaining unpaid on the last day of each month thereafter or (ii) 100% of the installment amount not paid on or before the due date. For purposes of this subsection, payments will be credited first to unpaid installment amounts (rather than to penalty or interest), beginning with the most delinquent installments. Payment cycles of longer than 60 days shall be one factor the Director takes into account in granting a waiver under this Section.

(d) Nothing in this amendatory Act of 1993 shall be construed to prevent the Illinois Department from collecting all amounts due under this Article pursuant to an assessment imposed before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993.

(Source: P.A. 87-861; 88-88.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.