103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2262

 

Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Robert Peters

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
210 ILCS 45/Art. IV heading new
210 ILCS 45/4-101 new
210 ILCS 45/4-105 new
210 ILCS 45/4-110 new
210 ILCS 45/4-115 new
210 ILCS 45/4-120 new

    Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a New Directions for Nursing Home Resident Care Task Force to develop a 5-year plan to deinstitutionalize individuals who require long-term care consistent with the federal requirements of community integration. Provides that the Department shall provide administrative support to the Task Force. Provides that the Department shall, within 6 months after the amendatory Act's effective date, create the Facility Transition Housing Program to provide housing assistance payments to individuals who receive benefits under the federal Social Security Act, face placement in a facility, or leave a facility. Requires the Program to provide housing assistance payments sufficient to allow eligible individuals to live in the local community. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department shall establish the Facility Transition Housing Program Task Force to assist in the design of the Program. Requires the Department to create a program to provide nursing services and assistance with activities for daily living sufficient to allow individuals who otherwise qualify for placement in a facility to receive short-term services in their local communities. Provides that persons who receive specified federal benefits shall receive a personal needs allowance of $90 per month, with the Department providing $60 per month in addition to the amount provided under federal law. Contains provisions concerning retaliation against residents and employees for complaints against a facility. Contains other provisions.


LRB103 29010 CPF 55396 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2262LRB103 29010 CPF 55396 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Nursing Home Care Act is amended by adding
5the heading of Article IV as follows:
 
6    (210 ILCS 45/Art. IV heading new)
7
ARTICLE IV. LONG-TERM CARE TRANSITION

 
8    (210 ILCS 45/4-101 new)
9    Sec. 4-101. Long-Term Care Transition Plan.
10    (a) The Department of Human Services shall establish a New
11Directions for Nursing Home Resident Care Task Force to
12develop a 5-year plan to deinstitutionalize individuals who
13require long-term care consistent with the requirements of
14community integration under the federal Americans with
15Disabilities Act of 1990 and the United States Supreme Court
16decision in Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring, 527 U.S. 581
17(1999).
18    (b) The Task Force shall create a plan to reduce the
19nursing home population in Illinois by 50% in 5 years. To
20achieve that goal, the plan shall:
21        (1) specify timetables for numbers of transitions per
22    6-month period necessary to achieve the goal;

 

 

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1        (2) provide estimates of funding needed to meet the
2    timetables under paragraph (1);
3        (3) identify programs that allow less congregated and
4    less restrictive care than those currently available;
5        (4) identify gaps in program coordination that, if
6    properly coordinated, could assist in achieving the goal;
7    and
8        (5) specify a process for ensuring a just transition
9    for nursing home staff displaced by the plan.
10    (c) The Task Force shall consist of:
11        (1) the Director of Aging or the Director's designee;
12        (2) the Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's
13    designee;
14        (3) the Attorney General or the Attorney General's
15    designee;
16        (4) 2 members nominated by the Illinois chapter of the
17    AFL-CIO;
18        (5) 3 members nominated by the Statewide Independent
19    Living Council;
20        (6) 3 persons with disabilities nominated by the
21    Statewide Independent Living Council;
22        (7) 3 senior citizens, or advocates for senior
23    citizens, nominated by the Statewide Independent Living
24    Council;
25        (8) one representative of the nursing home industry
26    appointed by the Governor;

 

 

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1        (9) one representative of a national network of
2    advocates for independent living nominated by the
3    Statewide Independent Living Council; and
4        (10) one representative from a protection and advocacy
5    agency for people in Illinois.
6    (d) Task Force members shall elect a chairperson from
7among themselves. Task Force members shall serve without
8compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses
9incurred in carrying out their duties as Task Force members.
10    (e) The Department of Human Services shall provide
11administrative support to the Task Force.
12    (f) The Department of Human Services shall establish the
13Task Force no later than 3 months after the effective date of
14this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly. The Task
15Force shall issue the plan required under subsection (b) no
16later than one year after the Task Force is established.
 
17    (210 ILCS 45/4-105 new)
18    Sec. 4-105. Facility Transition Housing Program.
19    (a) Within 6 months after the effective date of this
20amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department
21of Human Services shall create the Facility Transition Housing
22Program to provide housing assistance payments to individuals
23who receive benefits under Title XVI of the federal Social
24Security Act, face placement in a facility, or leave a
25facility.

 

 

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1    (b) The Facility Transition Housing Program shall provide
2housing assistance payments sufficient to allow eligible
3individuals to live in the local community but not less than
4the assistance provided through the federal Housing Choice
5Voucher Program established under 24 CFR Part 982.
6    (c) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human
7Services shall establish the Facility Transition Housing
8Program Task Force to assist in the design of the Program. The
9Department of Human Services shall appoint advocates for
10persons with disabilities, advocates for senior citizens, and
11representatives from the Illinois Housing Development
12Authority as members of the Task Force. When designing the
13Program, the Task Force shall consider the savings of living
14in local communities compared to the expense of living in a
15facility.
 
16    (210 ILCS 45/4-110 new)
17    Sec. 4-110. Transitional and emergency home services.
18    Within 4 months after the effective date of this
19amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department
20of Human Services shall create a program to provide nursing
21services and assistance with activities for daily living
22sufficient to allow individuals who otherwise qualify for
23placement in a facility to receive short-term services in
24their local communities. The program shall provide (i)
25emergency home services when an individual receiving home

 

 

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1services has a temporary need for a substitute personal
2assistant and (ii) short-term services to bridge periods
3between release from medical or institutional settings and the
4establishment of long-term home services or other arrangements
5allowing an individual to live in the local community. To
6accomplish this goal, the program shall, subject to
7appropriation, at a minimum:
8        (1) determine eligibility for persons who are at risk
9    of placement in a facility no more than 24 hours after
10    requesting services under the program;
11        (2) provide every service available under any Illinois
12    Medicaid waiver program, including, but not limited to,
13    medication management, toileting, transferring,
14    catheterization, and bathing;
15        (3) provide emergency services to recipients under any
16    Illinois Medicaid waiver program who experience a
17    temporary unanticipated interruption in services,
18    regardless of the type of waiver received or the age of the
19    recipient; and
20        (4) continue short-term services for an individual
21    until a full assessment of Medicaid waiver eligibility is
22    complete and there is either a finding of ineligibility
23    for Medicaid waiver services or long-term services under
24    the appropriate Medicaid waiver program have begun.
 
25    (210 ILCS 45/4-115 new)

 

 

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1    Sec. 4-115. Personal needs allowance.
2    (a) A person who receives benefits under Title XVI of the
3federal Social Security Act and resides in a facility shall
4receive a personal needs allowance of $90 per month, with the
5Department of Human Services providing $60 per month in
6addition to the amount provided under the federal provisions.
7    (b) Beginning January 1 of the year following the
8effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
9Assembly, and on or before January 1 of each year thereafter,
10and subject to appropriation for this specific purpose, the
11personal needs allowance shall be increased by the percentage
12adjusted for cost-of-living increases under the Old Age,
13Survivors, and Disability Social Security Benefits published
14by the federal Social Security Administration, subject to the
15maximum personal needs allowance permissible under the federal
16Social Security Act.
 
17    (210 ILCS 45/4-120 new)
18    Sec. 4-120. Prohibition on retaliation for resident or
19facility employee complaints.
20    (a) Facility owners, management, and employees are
21prohibited from retaliating against facility residents or
22employees who complain about facility services, including, but
23not limited to, a facility's physical condition, provision of
24medical care, social supports and services provided, access to
25visitation, time outside of the facility, and any other

 

 

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1attribute connected to a resident's experience of living in a
2facility.
3    (b) There is a rebuttable presumption of retaliation under
4this Section if a resident or employee experiences reduced
5access to services, neglect, selective restrictions,
6hostility, transfer to another facility, reduction of work
7hours, reassignment to less desirable hours, or a threat to
8take any of these actions within one year after the resident or
9employee:
10        (1) complains of a violation or problem applicable to
11    the facility to a competent governmental agency, elected
12    representative, or other individual responsible for
13    enforcing any law applicable to the facility;
14        (2) complains of violations or problems applicable to
15    the facility to a community organization or the news
16    media;
17        (3) complains about violations or problems applicable
18    to the facility;
19        (4) complains to any government official, ombudsman,
20    or member of the public about building, health, or similar
21    violations or an illegal facility practice;
22        (5) seeks the assistance from a community
23    organization, union, or the news media to remedy a
24    violation or improper practice;
25        (6) seeks assistance for himself, herself, or another
26    resident or employee to transition to independent living;

 

 

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1        (7) requests that the facility make repairs, address
2    grievances, or meet other regulatory building, health, or
3    other requirements;
4        (8) requests that the facility comply with a care
5    plan;
6        (9) becomes a member of a resident council, resident
7    union, employee union, or a similar organization;
8        (10) testifies in any court or administrative
9    proceeding concerning the condition of the facility; or
10        (11) takes any other good faith action in support of
11    any other right or remedy provided by law.
12    (c) A facility or facility management who retaliates in
13violation of this Section is liable for each offense and may be
14subject to any remedy available at law, including, but not
15limited to, compensation for future pecuniary losses,
16emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, loss
17of enjoyment of life, and other nonpecuniary losses, plus
18attorney's fees and costs. In addition, where the facility or
19facility management is found to have retaliated in violation
20of this Section, the facility is liable to the complaining
21resident for an additional penalty in the amount of double the
22facility's monthly billing for that resident.
23    (d) A resident may allege retaliation as an affirmative
24defense to any action to remove or transfer the resident from a
25facility.
26    (e) A claim for retaliation under this Act may be filed in

 

 

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1any court of competent jurisdiction or any administrative
2hearing process operated by or through the State of Illinois
3or its agencies.
4    (f) The Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman shall
5have the power, either directly or by contract with another
6entity, to provide legal services or representation to
7residents who experience retaliation that is prohibited under
8this Section.
9    (g) The Attorney General may enjoin retaliation and seek
10payment of the penalty provided in subsection (c) when the
11retaliatory conduct impacts 3 or more residents or employees.