SB2529 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 14746 KTG 59759 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB2529

Introduced 11/10/2011, by Sen. Heather A. Steans

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 415/4d	from Ch. 127, par. 63b104d
30 ILCS 500/20-30
305 ILCS 5/11-5.1

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that 20 selected Senior Public Service Administrator positions within the Department of Healthcare and Family Services designated by the Director of that agency as requiring specific knowledge of healthcare administration, healthcare finance, healthcare data analytics, or information technology are exempt from jurisdiction B under certain conditions. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other law, rule, regulation, or provision of any kind, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may procure goods and services for the verification of income and eligibility from a vendor as an emergency procurement to meet the agency's responsibilities, and may enter into a contract following that emergency procurement for not more than 18 months and sets forth procurement procedures for this type of transaction. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code to the contrary, to expedite the expansion of electronic verification of income, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may contract with an income verification service vendor for a contract term of up to 18 months in accordance with the Illinois Procurement Code and that the services of the vendor shall be available for verification of eligibility for any means-tested health benefits programs administered by the Department. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 5. The Personnel Code is amended by changing Section 4d as follows:

(20 ILCS 415/4d) (from Ch. 127, par. 63b104d)

Sec. 4d. Partial exemptions. The following positions in State service are exempt from jurisdictions A, B, and C to the extent stated for each, unless those jurisdictions are extended as provided in this Act:

(1) In each department, board or commission that now maintains or may hereafter maintain a major administrative division, service or office in both Sangamon County and Cook County, 2 private secretaries for the director or chairman thereof, one located in the Cook County office and the other located in the Sangamon County office, shall be exempt from jurisdiction B; in all other departments, boards and commissions one private secretary for the director or chairman thereof shall be exempt from jurisdiction B. In all departments, boards and commissions one confidential assistant for the director or chairman thereof shall be exempt from jurisdiction B. This paragraph is subject to such modifications or waiver of the exemptions as may be necessary to assure the continuity of federal contributions in those agencies supported in whole or in part by federal funds.

(2) The resident administrative head of each State charitable, penal and correctional institution, the chaplains thereof, and all member, patient and inmate employees are exempt from jurisdiction B.

(3) The Civil Service Commission, upon written recommendation of the Director of Central Management Services, shall exempt from jurisdiction B other positions which, in the judgment of the Commission, involve either principal administrative responsibility for the determination of policy or principal administrative responsibility for the way in which policies are carried out, except positions in agencies which receive federal funds if such exemption is inconsistent with federal requirements, and except positions in agencies supported in whole by federal funds.

(4) All beauticians and teachers of beauty culture and teachers of barbering, and all positions heretofore paid under Section 1.22 of "An Act to standardize position titles and salary rates", approved June 30, 1943, as amended, shall be exempt from jurisdiction B.

(5) Licensed attorneys in positions as legal or technical advisors, positions in the Department of Natural Resources requiring incumbents to be either a registered professional engineer or to hold a bachelor's degree in engineering from a recognized college or university, licensed physicians in positions of medical administrator or physician or physician specialist (including psychiatrists), and registered nurses (except those registered nurses employed by the Department of Public Health), except those in positions in agencies which receive federal funds if such exemption is inconsistent with federal requirements and except those in positions in agencies supported in whole by federal funds, are exempt from jurisdiction B only to the extent that the requirements of Section 8b.1, 8b.3 and 8b.5 of this Code need not be met.

(6) All positions established outside the geographical limits of the State of Illinois to which appointments of other than Illinois citizens may be made are exempt from jurisdiction B.

(7) Staff attorneys reporting directly to individual Commissioners of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission are exempt from jurisdiction B.

(8) Twenty selected Senior Public Service Administrator positions within the Department of Healthcare and Family Services designated by the Director of that agency as requiring specific knowledge of healthcare administration, healthcare finance, healthcare data analytics, or information technology are exempt from jurisdiction B only to the extent that the requirements of Sections 8b.1, 8b.3, and 8b.5 of this Code need not be met.

(Source: P.A. 93-721, eff. 1-1-05.)

Section 7. The Illinois Procurement Code is amended by changing Section 20-30 as follows:

(30 ILCS 500/20-30)

Sec. 20-30. Emergency purchases.

(a) Conditions for use. In accordance with standards set by rule, a purchasing agency may make emergency procurements without competitive sealed bidding or prior notice when there exists a threat to public health or public safety, or when immediate expenditure is necessary for repairs to State property in order to protect against further loss of or damage to State property, to prevent or minimize serious disruption in critical State services that affect health, safety, or collection of substantial State revenues, or to ensure the integrity of State records; provided, however, that the term of the emergency purchase shall be limited to the time reasonably needed for a competitive procurement, not to exceed 90 days. A contract may be extended beyond 90 days if the chief procurement officer determines additional time is necessary and that the contract scope and duration are limited to the emergency. Prior to execution of the extension, the chief procurement officer must hold a public hearing and provide written justification for all emergency contracts. Members of the public may present testimony. Emergency procurements shall be made with as much competition as is practicable under the circumstances. A written description of the basis for the emergency and reasons for the selection of the particular contractor shall be included in the contract file.

(b) Notice. Notice of all emergency procurements shall be provided to the Procurement Policy Board and published in the online electronic Bulletin no later than 3 business days after the contract is awarded. Notice of intent to extend an emergency contract shall be provided to the Procurement Policy Board and published in the online electronic Bulletin at least 14 days before the public hearing. Notice shall include at least a description of the need for the emergency purchase, the contractor, and if applicable, the date, time, and location of the public hearing. A copy of this notice and all documents provided at the hearing shall be included in the subsequent Procurement Bulletin. Before the next appropriate volume of the Illinois Procurement Bulletin, the purchasing agency shall publish in the Illinois Procurement Bulletin a copy of each written description and reasons and the total cost of each emergency procurement made during the previous month. When only an estimate of the total cost is known at the time of publication, the estimate shall be identified as an estimate and published. When the actual total cost is determined, it shall also be published in like manner before the 10th day of the next succeeding month.

(c) Affidavits. A chief procurement officer making a procurement under this Section shall file affidavits with the Procurement Policy Board and the Auditor General within 10 days after the procurement setting forth the amount expended, the name of the contractor involved, and the conditions and circumstances requiring the emergency procurement. When only an estimate of the cost is available within 10 days after the procurement, the actual cost shall be reported immediately after it is determined. At the end of each fiscal quarter, the Auditor General shall file with the Legislative Audit Commission and the Governor a complete listing of all emergency procurements reported during that fiscal quarter. The Legislative Audit Commission shall review the emergency procurements so reported and, in its annual reports, advise the General Assembly of procurements that appear to constitute an abuse of this Section.

(d) Quick purchases. The chief procurement officer may promulgate rules extending the circumstances by which a purchasing agency may make purchases under this Section, including but not limited to the procurement of items available at a discount for a limited period of time.

(e) The changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly apply to procurements executed on or after its effective date.

(f) Notwithstanding any other law, rule, regulation, or provision of any kind, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may procure goods and services for the verification of income and eligibility from a vendor as an emergency procurement within the meaning of subsection (a) of this Section to meet the agency's responsibilities as set forth under Section 11-5.1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, also known as the Medicaid Reform Law, and may, moreover, enter into a contract following that emergency procurement for a duration of not more than 18 months. For purposes of this transaction only, the acquisition of goods and services for income and eligibility verification for purposes of compliance with Section 11-5.1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code shall be deemed an emergency within the meaning of subsection (a) of this Section. For purposes of this transaction, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may conduct the procurement of these goods and services, and enter into a contract for a period not to exceed 18 months without adhering to the requirements set forth in subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this Section. The Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall have the exclusive authority only with respect to this transaction to conduct the procurement for the necessary goods and services and subsequently enter into a contract resulting from that procurement for a term not exceeding 18 months.

(Source: P.A. 96-795, eff. 7-1-10 (see Section 5 of P.A. 96-793 for the effective date of changes made by P.A. 96-795).)

Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by changing Section 11-5.1 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/11-5.1)

Sec. 11-5.1. Eligibility verification. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, with respect to applications for medical assistance provided under Article V of this Code, eligibility shall be determined in a manner that ensures program integrity and complies with federal laws and regulations while minimizing unnecessary barriers to enrollment. To this end, as soon as practicable, and unless the Department receives written denial from the federal government, this Section shall be implemented:

(a) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services or its designees shall:

(1) By no later than July 1, 2011, require verification of, at a minimum, one month's income from all sources required for determining the eligibility of applicants for medical assistance under this Code. Such verification shall take the form of pay stubs, business or income and expense records for self-employed persons, letters from employers, and any other valid documentation of income including data obtained electronically by the Department or its designees from other sources as described in subsection (b) of this Section.

(2) By no later than October 1, 2011, require verification of, at a minimum, one month's income from all sources required for determining the continued eligibility of recipients at their annual review of eligibility for medical assistance under this Code. Such verification shall take the form of pay stubs, business or income and expense records for self-employed persons, letters from employers, and any other valid documentation of income including data obtained electronically by the Department or its designees from other sources as described in subsection (b) of this Section. The Department shall send a notice to recipients at least 60 days prior to the end of their period of eligibility that informs them of the requirements for continued eligibility. If a recipient does not fulfill the requirements for continued eligibility by the deadline established in the notice a notice of cancellation shall be issued to the recipient and coverage shall end on the last day of the eligibility period. A recipient's eligibility may be reinstated without requiring a new application if the recipient fulfills the requirements for continued eligibility prior to the end of the month following the last date of coverage. Nothing in this Section shall prevent an individual whose coverage has been cancelled from reapplying for health benefits at any time.

(3) By no later than July 1, 2011, require verification of Illinois residency.

(b) The Department shall establish or continue cooperative arrangements with the Social Security Administration, the Illinois Secretary of State, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Employment Security, and any other appropriate entity to gain electronic access, to the extent allowed by law, to information available to those entities that may be appropriate for electronically verifying any factor of eligibility for benefits under the Program. Data relevant to eligibility shall be provided for no other purpose than to verify the eligibility of new applicants or current recipients of health benefits under the Program. Data shall be requested or provided for any new applicant or current recipient only insofar as that individual's circumstances are relevant to that individual's or another individual's eligibility. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code to the contrary, in order to expedite the expansion of electronic verification of income, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services is authorized to contract with an income verification service vendor for a contract term of up to 18 months in accordance with the procedures set forth for such procurement within subsection (f) of Section 20-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code. The services of such vendor shall be available for verification of eligibility for any means-tested health benefits programs administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

(c) Within 90 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall send notice to current recipients informing them of the changes regarding their eligibility verification.

(Source: P.A. 96-1501, eff. 1-25-11.)

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