HB1470eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1470 Engrossed LRB097 06486 KTG 46569 b

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 Sections 5B-4 and 5B-5 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 shall be due and payable monthly, on the last State business day of the month for occupied bed days reported for the preceding third month prior to the month in which the tax is payable and due. A facility that has delayed payment due to the State's failure to reimburse for services rendered may request an extension on the due date for payment pursuant to subsection (b) and shall pay the assessment within 30 days of reimbursement by the Department. 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.

(a-5) The Illinois Department shall provide for an electronic submission process for each long-term care facility to report Each assessment payment shall be accompanied by an assessment report to be completed by the long-term care provider. A separate report shall be completed for each long-term care facility in this State operated by a long-term care provider. The report shall be in a form and manner prescribed by the Illinois Department and shall at a minimum provide for the reporting of the number of occupied bed days of the long-term care facility for the reporting period and other reasonable information the Illinois Department requires for the administration of its responsibilities under this Code. Beginning July 1, 2013, a separate electronic submission shall be completed for each long-term care facility in this State operated by a long-term care provider. The Illinois Department shall prepare an assessment bill stating the amount due and payable each month and submit it to each long-term care facility via an electronic process. Each assessment payment shall be accompanied by a copy of the assessment bill sent to the long-term care facility by the Illinois Department. To the extent practicable, the Department shall coordinate the assessment reporting requirements with other reporting required of long-term care facilities.

(b) The Illinois Department is authorized to establish delayed payment schedules for long-term care providers that are unable to make assessment payments when due under this Section due to financial difficulties, as determined by the Illinois Department. The Illinois Department may not deny a request for delay of payment of the assessment imposed under this Article if the long-term care provider has not been paid for services provided during the month on which the assessment is levied.

(c) If a long-term care provider fails to pay the full amount of an assessment payment 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 a penalty assessment equal to the lesser of (i) 5% of the amount of the assessment payment 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 assessment payment amount not paid on or before the due date. For purposes of this subsection, payments will be credited first to unpaid assessment payment amounts (rather than to penalty or interest), beginning with the most delinquent assessment payments. Payment cycles of longer than 60 days shall be one factor the Director takes into account in granting a waiver under this Section.

(c-5) If a long-term care facility provider fails to file its assessment bill report with payment, there shall, unless waived by the Illinois Department for reasonable cause, be added to the assessment due a penalty assessment equal to 25% of the assessment due. After July 1, 2013, no penalty shall be assessed under this Section if the Illinois Department does not provide a process for the electronic submission of the information required by subsection (a-5).

(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.

(e) Nothing in this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be construed to prevent the Illinois Department from collecting all amounts due under this Code pursuant to an assessment, tax, fee, or penalty imposed before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 96-444, eff. 8-14-09; 96-1530, eff. 2-16-11.)

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

Sec. 5B-5. Annual reporting; penalty; maintenance of records.

(a) After December 31 of each year, and on or before March 31 of the succeeding year, every long-term care provider subject to assessment under this Article shall file a report with the Illinois Department. The report shall be in a form and manner prescribed by the Illinois Department and shall state the revenue received by the long-term care provider, reported in such categories as may be required by the Illinois Department, and other reasonable information the Illinois Department requires for the administration of its responsibilities under this Code.

(b) If a long-term care provider operates or maintains more than one long-term care facility in this State, the provider may not file a single return covering all those long-term care facilities, but shall file a separate return for each long-term care facility and shall compute and pay the assessment for each long-term care facility separately.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article, in the case of a person who ceases to operate or maintain a long-term care facility in respect of which the person is subject to assessment under this Article as a long-term care provider, the person shall file a final, amended return with the Illinois Department not more than 90 days after the cessation reflecting the adjustment and shall pay with the final return the assessment for the year as so adjusted (to the extent not previously paid). If a person fails to file a final amended return on a timely basis, there shall, unless waived by the Illinois Department for reasonable cause, be added to the assessment due a penalty assessment equal to 25% of the assessment due.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a provider who commences operating or maintaining a long-term care facility that was under a prior ownership and remained licensed by the Department of Public Health shall notify the Illinois Department of the change in ownership and shall be responsible to immediately pay any prior amounts owed by the facility.

(e) The Department shall develop a procedure for sharing with a potential buyer of a facility information regarding outstanding assessments and penalties owed by that facility.

(f) In the case of a long-term care provider existing as a corporation or legal entity other than an individual, the return filed by it shall be signed by its president, vice-president, secretary, or treasurer or by its properly authorized agent.

(g) If a long-term care provider fails to file its return on or before the due date of the return, there shall, unless waived by the Illinois Department for reasonable cause, be added to the assessment imposed by Section 5B-2 a penalty assessment equal to 25% of the assessment imposed for the year. After July 1, 2013, no penalty shall be assessed if the Illinois Department has not established a process for the electronic submission of information.

(h) Every long-term care provider subject to assessment under this Article shall keep records and books that will permit the determination of occupied bed days on a calendar year basis. All such books and records shall be kept in the English language and shall, at all times during business hours of the day, be subject to inspection by the Illinois Department or its duly authorized agents and employees.

(i) The Illinois Department shall establish a process for long-term care providers to electronically submit all information required by this Section no later that July 1, 2013.

(Source: P.A. 96-1530, eff. 2-16-11.)