Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District
Springfield Update • April 7, 2016
My 2016 Legislative Agenda
As you know, I chair the House Appropriation—Human Services Committee and we are now in an unprecedented 10th month of our fiscal year since Governor Rauner vetoed this year’s entire budget other than K-12 approps. While some services are being paid by the orders of Federal and State judges under several Consent Decrees, much of our state system of human service providers, colleges and universities, etc. are either receiving no state payments for services they have been rendering, have reduced services and let go staff or closed altogether.
Next week we will begin the hearing process leading up to a budget proposal for NEXT fiscal year (FY17), while also trying to ascertain the status of contracts and payments already entered into by State agencies this year in absence of appropriations, as well as what services and programs have not been funded. Getting our hands around these facts and understanding our current situation will be critical as we plan effectively on how to move forward.
I will be regularly updating you on the results of our hearings and the information that is presented to us as we go forward.
In the meantime, I am working on a number of issues for this session. Here are brief descriptions of the items on my legislative agenda:
- HB4351 would prevent the Governor from cutting home and community based services to senior citizens, people with disabilities and supportive housing.
- HB4359 would require law enforcement to remove firearms from the possession of persons who are convicted of felonies, domestic abuse, who have severe mental illness that pose a threat to themselves or others, or that are a clear and present danger and threaten terrorist acts
- HB4608 updates the Illinois Administrative Procedures Act to make the agency rulemaking process more accessible and transparent to the general public.
- HB5038 restores the Governor’s elimination of community based psychiatric services and hospital psychiatric services
- HB5039 allows student loan forgiveness for certain behavioral health graduates who work in higher need areas
- HB5104 requires the Department of Corrections to maintain minimum nurse staffing levels in its healthcare facilities
- HB5603 is cleanup and correction language for the Nursing Home Camera legislation I passed last year in conjunction with Attorney General Lisa Madigan
- HB5750 is an assessment on health insurance companies to provide additional funding for Medicaid providers and obtain new federal matching funds
- HB6073 updates the Vital Records Act to allow transgender people to change the gender markers on their birth certificates after certification by their doctor that they have undergone treatment according to current medical standards
- HB6125 allows several establishments to obtain liquor licenses with the approval of the local community and Alderman including restaurants in the 46th Ward (42 grams and at the Lawrence House)
You can click on the bill numbers above for a link to see the details of the legislation and the current status, as well as any amendments that are offered.
As always, I look forward to your comments and can be reached at greg@gregharris.org.