Chicago City Wire

Lindsey LaPointe introduced HB3636 in the Illinois House on Feb. 7, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that if a minor's guardian has submitted an application for the Family Support Program and that application is pending review or under active review to determine if the minor is eligible for the Family Support Program, and the minor is placed in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services under the Abuse, Neglected, or Dependent Minors Article of the Act on the basis of a petition alleging that the minor is dependent because the minor was left at a psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity, the minor's application shall be expedited for review to determine if the minor is eligible for the Family Support Program. Provides that if the application review determines that the minor is eligible for the Family Support Program, the court shall conduct a hearing within 14 days upon notification to all parties that an application for the Family Support Program services has been approved and services are available."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to ensure expedited review of applications for the Family Support Program for minors placed in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services based on dependency petitions. Specifically, if a petition alleges that a minor is dependent for being left at a psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity, and their guardian has an application for the Family Support Program pending, the review process will be expedited. If found eligible, a court hearing must occur within 14 days of service availability notification. The provision excludes minors involved in abuse or neglect allegations and those already under the department's temporary custody with a history of such allegations, except for psychiatric lockout cases.

Lindsey LaPointe has proposed another 21 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

LaPointe graduated from Grinnell College in 2004 with a BA.

Lindsey LaPointe is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 19th House District. She replaced previous state representative Robert Martwick in 2019.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB3636	02/07/2025	Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that if a minor's guardian has submitted an application for the Family Support Program and that application is pending review or under active review to determine if the minor is eligible for the Family Support Program, and the minor is placed in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services under the Abuse, Neglected, or Dependent Minors Article of the Act on the basis of a petition alleging that the minor is dependent because the minor was left at a psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity, the minor's application shall be expedited for review to determine if the minor is eligible for the Family Support Program. Provides that if the application review determines that the minor is eligible for the Family Support Program, the court shall conduct a hearing within 14 days upon notification to all parties that an application for the Family Support Program services has been approved and services are available.
HB3373	02/07/2025	Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. In provisions concerning the qualifications of applicants, provides that the first part of the required examination for licensure may be taken upon graduation and before completion of a postdoctoral supervised experience in clinical, school, or counseling psychology.
HB3440	02/07/2025	Amends the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services, in coordination with a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals, to establish and offer a voluntary training that will be recorded and made available on the Department's website to all hospital social workers, clinicians, and administrative staff to inform them of BEACON, a centralized resource for Illinois youth and families seeking services for behavioral health needs, with the goal of encouraging families to seek assistance through BEACON and the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Team. Provides that the training shall include how families and hospital staff can access BEACON, the process once a case is entered into BEACON, and State and community programs accessible through BEACON. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires a psychiatric hospital to contact a youth or the youth's parents, guardian, or caregiver about the BEACON portal (rather than the Family Support Program and the Specialized Family Support Program) prior to referring the youth to the Department of Children and Family Services because the youth was left at the psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity. Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor and relevant stakeholders, to report its work and make available resource materials, including model policies and guidance informed by a phased approach to implementing universal mental health screening in schools. Requires the State Board of Education to report its work by September 1, 2026. Provides that mental health screenings shall be offered by school districts to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12, at least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.
HB3487	02/07/2025	Creates the Behavioral Health Workforce Data Collection Act. Requires The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to collect data, as specified, from behavioral health professionals at the time of initial application for licensure and renewal of an active license. Requires the Department to ensure the data collection process is secure and adheres to State and federal privacy laws, including de-identification of personal data. Provides that the Department shall make the collected data publicly available in an aggregated, de-identified format. Requires the data to be published in a format that allows policy groups, advocates, and other stakeholders to monitor the diversity, linguistic capacity, and availability of the behavioral health workforce; identify regions and specialties with severe shortages; and forecast future workforce needs. Requires the Department to publish the aggregated data annually by January 31 on its website and through other accessible formats. Grants the Department rulemaking authority to implement the Act. Requires the Department to comply with applicable data privacy and confidentiality laws. Provides that, for a period of 2 years following the effective date of the Act, the Department shall submit to the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center a list of email addresses or email communications, subject to data privacy and confidentiality laws, of all licensed behavioral health professionals exclusively for purposes of collecting data related to the behavioral health workforce in Illinois. Effective immediately.
HB3511	02/07/2025	Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Establishes the Nonprofit Clinical Supervision Grant Program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall provide grants to eligible nonprofit associations to provide grants to nonprofit associations to hire licensed clinical social workers and to administer programs for group clinical supervision to assist social workers in fulfilling their supervised clinical experience requirements for licensure. Sets forth eligibility requirements for nonprofit associations. Sets forth requirements regarding the use of grant funds. Describes annual reporting requirements for grant recipients. Allows the Department of Human Services to adopt rules needed to implement the Nonprofit Clinical Supervision Grant Program. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes the name of the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to the School and Municipal/County Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Increases the maximum amount of grants that may be awarded through the School and Municipal/County Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Allows a recipient to apply for additional grant funding in subsequent years only if the recipient verifies that the grant amount allocated in the prior year has been applied to reduce the balance of the recipient's educational loan.
HB3572	02/07/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Adds a Diversion of Unfit Misdemeanants Article to the Code. Provides that a defendant charged with one or more misdemeanors and for whom a court has determined that a bona fide doubt of the defendant's fitness has been raised may be admitted into an unfit misdemeanant diversion program only upon the approval of the court. Provides that the Illinois Supreme Court or any circuit court of the State may adopt rules establishing unfit misdemeanant diversion programs consistent with the Article. Provides that the court shall require an eligibility screening and an assessment of the defendant to determine whether the defendant may be able to receive mental health services under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code which shall reasonably assure his or her safety and that of the public and his or her continued participation in treatment. Provides that if, following this screening, the State and the defendant agree to the diversion and the court determines that the defendant is appropriate for diversion, the criminal charges may be dismissed with prejudice. Provides that if the court does not approve, the court shall order a fitness examination and the matter shall be governed by any other relevant provisions of the Fitness for Trial, To Plead, or to be Sentenced Article of the Code. Provides that the misdemeanant diversion program may maintain or collaborate with mental health and substance use treatment providers necessary to provide a continuum of treatment options commensurate with the needs of the defendant and available resources. Treatment programs shall comply with all relevant statutes and rules. Requires the Department of Human Services to provide care to persons determined to be subject to involuntary admission on an inpatient basis as defined in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code or may make arrangements with any other appropriate inpatient mental health facility to provide those services. Makes conforming changes in the Fitness for Trial, To Plead, or to be Sentenced Article of the Code. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Diversion of Unfit Misdemeanants Act.
HB3575	02/07/2025	Creates the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility Task Force Act. Contains only a short title provision.
HB3640	02/07/2025	Creates the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish an Illinois Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) program that is family-driven, youth-guided, and trauma-informed, and includes youth and family involvement in all aspects of care planning. Requires the Department to submit a State Plan Amendment, by January 1, 2026, to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to establish coverage of federally authorized, medically necessary inpatient psychiatric services delivered by a certified PRTF to medical assistance beneficiaries under 21 years of age. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement the PRTF program that at a minimum shall include: (i) certification and participation requirements for PRTF providers in compliance with all applicable federal laws, regulations, requirements, and policies; (ii) monitoring and oversight of PRTF services; (iii) a limit on allowable beds at any one PRTF, not to exceed 40 total beds; and other matters. Requires the Department to establish, and update as needed, a methodology for completing a statewide PRTF capacity analysis for the purposes of identifying capacity needs for PRTF services under the Illinois Medical Assistance Program. Requires the Department to establish a PRTF Advisory Committee responsible for reviewing and providing guidance on the Department's policies and implementations of the PRTF program. Requires the Department to publish on its website counts of reported emergency safety interventions and serious occurrences by State fiscal year and quarter. Makes conforming changes to the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the Child Care Act of 1969, and other various Acts. Effective immediately.
HB3761	02/07/2025	Creates the Hospitals and Homelessness Support Act. Requires the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness within the Department of Human Services to maintain on its publicly accessible website information on how a hospital or healthcare system may connect a patient experiencing homelessness or otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation with shelter and homeless support services for each continuum of care in the State. Requires the Department to ensure that the information required includes, for each continuum of care, any phone number, email address, physical address, primary agencies, or any other information that may be necessary for a person in that continuum of care territory to begin accessing shelter or other homelessness services. Requires the Department to include, where possible, a specific phone number that a hospital or health care facility may call and specific language to use. Requires the Department to also include on its website a way for the hospital or healthcare system to determine which continuum of care applies based on the physical location of the hospital or healthcare system. Requires other information, all of which must be added to the Department's website by October 31, 2025. Contains provisions concerning annual audits.
HB3763	02/07/2025	Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that if a household's monthly benefit amount under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is determined to be less than $75, the State shall pay an additional amount to increase the household's total monthly benefit to $75. Effective October 1, 2025.
HB2988	02/06/2025	Appropriates $5,000,000 to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program and the Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarship. Appropriates $1,000,000 to the Department of Human Services for the Nonprofit Clinical Supervision Program grant. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB2993	02/06/2025	Amends the Rebuild Illinois Mental Health Workforce Act. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, for each State fiscal year, a monthly directed payment shall be paid to each community mental health provider of community support individual services based on the number of Medicaid users of community support individual services documented by Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care encounter claims delivered by the provider in the base year. Sets forth how the monthly directed payment shall be calculated. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adjust and pay community mental health providers for any payments authorized for all services from a community mental health provider which have been paid by a Medicaid managed care organization but no encounter claim has been recorded in the Departments' Enterprise Data Warehouse. Provides that the Department must develop a process for community mental health providers to reconcile these payments and submit claims for which the Department has not used for making payments. Permits the Department to sanction Medicaid managed care organizations for services not received by the Department.
HB3255	02/06/2025	Amends the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. Provides that, if the injured employee subsequently dies, the employer shall continue to pay the entire health insurance premium for the surviving spouse (rather than the surviving spouse until remarried) and for the dependent children under specified conditions.
HB2728	02/05/2025	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Repeals provisions that require: (i) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to consult with stakeholders and General Assembly members for input on a plan to develop enhanced Medicaid rates for substance use disorder treatment and mental health treatment in underserved communities; and (ii) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Human Services to collaborate to review coverage and billing requirements for substance use prevention and recovery and mental health services with the goal of identifying disparities and streamlining coverage and billing requirements to reduce the administrative burden for providers and medical assistance beneficiaries. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB2824	02/05/2025	Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a widow's annuity shall be equal to 66 2/3%(instead of 50%) of the retirement annuity the deceased policeman or fireman was receiving at the time of death or 66 2/3% (instead of 50%) of the retirement annuity the policeman or fireman would have been eligible for if the policeman or fireman retired from service on the day before the policeman's or fireman's death. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
HB2871	02/05/2025	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health, recommended screening guidelines for tardive dyskinesia for providers serving patients prescribed antipsychotic medications under the medical assistance program in State-operated residential facilities and community-based settings. Provides that the recommended screening guidelines shall be based on current, nationally accepted, evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and treatment of tardive dyskinesia, and shall include structured assessment tools, which can be both quantitative and qualitative. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health, to develop communication strategies and educational materials to be offered to health care providers regarding tardive dyskinesia, the recommended screening guidelines, and any subsequent revisions. Provides that in developing the information to be disseminated, the Departments of Healthcare and Family Services, Human Services, and Public Health shall consult with a statewide association representing physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches and a statewide association representing psychiatrists.
HB2555	02/04/2025	Creates the Support for Family Home Health Aides and Caregivers Act. Requires the Director of Healthcare and Family Services to establish, no later than one year after the effective date of the Act, a Family Home Health Aide Program for the purposes of training a family caregiver of an eligible relative on the provision of qualified home health services to supplement home health and private duty nursing services in the State. Provides that under the program, the Director must certify a family caregiver of an eligible relative who has successfully completed the approved training for family home health aides, and meets all other applicable requirements established by the State, and is determined to be in compliance with any federal law concerning family home health aides. Provides that, subject to federal approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a certified family home health aide shall be eligible to provide qualified home health services to an eligible relative under any home and community-based services waiver program authorized under the Social Security Act. Contains provisions concerning the development of training requirements for family home health aides; certification requirements for family home health aides; employment opportunities; the different types of home health services; a requirement to triage services based on clinical acuity; the development of a clinical acuity tool to assist in determining the care needs of medically fragile individuals; the establishment of a respite program for family home health aides and other nursing professionals; reimbursement rates for home health aide services; utilization of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' electronic verification system; reporting requirements; and rulemaking.
HB2380	01/31/2025	Amends the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, the rules adopted under the Act shall cause the Agency to establish one rebate application cycle for each State fiscal year, shall cause each rebate application cycle to have a duration of one State fiscal year, and shall cause the Agency to accept rebate applications and issue rebates under the Act throughout each rebate application cycle.
HB2392	01/31/2025	Amends the County Department of Corrections Division of the Counties Code, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the County Jail Act. Provides that, upon the release of a prisoner or committed person from a county correctional institution, county jail, or Department of Corrections correctional institution or facility, the sheriff, warden, or Department shall provide the prisoner or committed person with an opioid antagonist if the prisoner was incarcerated for drug-related charges or was identified as having a substance abuse disorder.
HB2398	01/31/2025	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision prohibiting prior authorization mandates and utilization management controls under the fee-for-service and managed care medical assistance programs for FDA-approved prescription drugs that treat mental illness, requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and managed care organizations to report quarterly on compliance with the specified prohibitions beginning with dates of service on and after July 1, 2025. Requires the Department to post on its website a report on fee-for-service prescriptions and the reports from each managed care organization. Sets forth the information that must be contained in the quarterly reports, including, but not limited to: (i) the number of denied prescriptions and estimated net cost to the State for those covered prescriptions summarized by each of the allowed categories specified in the Code; (ii) the number of denied prescriptions and estimated net cost to the State for those prescriptions summarized by each of the non-allowed categories specified in the Code; and (iii) the number of denied prescriptions and estimated gross cost to the State for those prescriptions summarized by any other reason not specified in the Code. Requires the Department to sanction those managed care organizations that do not file the required reports. Effective immediately.
HB1770	01/27/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to require an insurance policy to provide coverage for medically necessary treatments for genetic, rare, unknown or unnamed, and unique conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and altered drug metabolism. Provides that an insurance policy that provides coverage for prescription drugs shall include coverage for opioid alternatives, coverage for medicines included in the Model List of Essential Medicines published by the World Health Organization, and coverage for custom-made medications and medical food. Provides that an insurance policy that limits the quantity of a medication in accordance with applicable State and federal law shall not require pre-approval for the treatment of patients with rare metabolism conditions that may need a higher dose of medication than what is otherwise allowed within a time frame or prescription schedule. Provides that the burden of proving that treatment is medically necessary shall not lie with the insured in cases of rejections for filing claims, preauthorization requests, and appeals related to coverage required under the Section.
HB1784	01/27/2025	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Expands the classes of persons eligible for medical assistance to include, beginning January 1, 2027 and subject to any federal waivers or approvals necessary for implementation, persons licensed under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Illinois Dental Practice Act, the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act, the Nurse Practice Act, the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987, or the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act. Permits such licensed persons to apply for medical assistance by submitting an application to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services between January 1 and March 31. Requires the Director of Healthcare and Family Services to determine the form and manner of submitting an application. Requires the Department to post application instructions on its website. Requires an eligible person who satisfies all application requirements to pay a premium for medical assistance coverage that shall be no higher than 5% of the person's annual income. Provides that any premiums paid shall be automatically allocated to the Department's medical assistance budget for the next fiscal year. Requires the Department to adopt rules.
HB1588	01/22/2025	Appropriates $7,500,000 to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB1555	01/21/2025	Amends the Environmental Barriers Act. Requires the Attorney General to provide, by January 31, 2026 and every January 31 thereafter (rather than by July 31, 2020 and every July 31 thereafter), data on the Attorney General's website about annual enforcement efforts performed under the Act. Effective immediately.
HB1085	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Establishes reimbursement rates for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for all group or individual policies of accident and health insurance or managed care plans that are amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 or for any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer. Requires a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 or any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer to cover certain medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. Provides that, if the Department of Insurance determines that an insurer or a contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer has violated a provision concerning mental health and substance use parity, the Department shall by order assess a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation. Excludes certain health care plans serving Medicaid populations who are enrolled under the Illinois Public Aid Code or under the Children's Health Insurance Program Act from provisions concerning mental health and substance use parity. Requires the Department to review the impact of the proposed mental health and substance abuse mandate on network adequacy for mental health and substance use disorder treatment and access to affordable mental health and substance use care. Permits the Department to examine out-of-network utilization and out-of-pocket costs for insureds for mental health and substance use treatment and services for all plans to compare with in-network utilization. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, and the School Code to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.