HB1764 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 06379 KTG 16415 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB1764

Introduced 1/28/2025, by Rep. Tom Weber

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

320 ILCS 25/4

from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 404

Amends the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act. In a provision setting forth the specified household income eligibility limits used to determine eligibility for reduced vehicle registration fees and free transit services, provides that the Department on Aging shall (rather than may) adopt rules such that on January 1, 2026, and thereafter, the specified household income eligibility limits shall be changed to reflect the annual cost of living adjustment in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning aging.

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

Section 5. The Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(320 ILCS 25/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 404)

Sec. 4. Amount of Grant.

(a) In general. Any individual 65 years or older or any individual who will become 65 years old during the calendar year in which a claim is filed, and any surviving spouse of such a claimant, who at the time of death received or was entitled to receive a grant pursuant to this Section, which surviving spouse will become 65 years of age within the 24 months immediately following the death of such claimant and which surviving spouse but for his or her age is otherwise qualified to receive a grant pursuant to this Section, and any person with a disability whose annual household income is less than the income eligibility limitation, as defined in subsection (a-5) and whose household is liable for payment of property taxes accrued or has paid rent constituting property taxes accrued and is domiciled in this State at the time he or she files his or her claim is entitled to claim a grant under this Act. With respect to claims filed by individuals who will become 65 years old during the calendar year in which a claim is filed, the amount of any grant to which that household is entitled shall be an amount equal to 1/12 of the amount to which the claimant would otherwise be entitled as provided in this Section, multiplied by the number of months in which the claimant was 65 in the calendar year in which the claim is filed.

(a-5) Income eligibility limitation. For purposes of this Section, "income eligibility limitation" means an amount for grant years 2008 through 2019:

(1) less than $22,218 for a household containing one person;

(2) less than $29,480 for a household containing 2 persons; or

(3) less than $36,740 for a household containing 3 or more persons.

For grant years 2020 and thereafter:

(1) less than $33,562 for a household containing one person;

(2) less than $44,533 for a household containing 2 persons; or

(3) less than $55,500 for a household containing 3 or more persons.

For 2009 claim year applications submitted during calendar year 2010, a household must have annual household income of less than $27,610 for a household containing one person; less than $36,635 for a household containing 2 persons; or less than $45,657 for a household containing 3 or more persons.

The Department on Aging shall may adopt rules such that on January 1, 2026 2011, and thereafter, the foregoing household income eligibility limits shall may be changed to reflect the annual cost of living adjustment in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits that are applicable to the year for which those benefits are being reported as income on an application.

If a person files as a surviving spouse, then only his or her income shall be counted in determining his or her household income.

(b) Limitation. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section, the maximum amount of grant which a claimant is entitled to claim is the amount by which the property taxes accrued which were paid or payable during the last preceding tax year or rent constituting property taxes accrued upon the claimant's residence for the last preceding taxable year exceeds 3 1/2% of the claimant's household income for that year but in no event is the grant to exceed (i) $700 less 4.5% of household income for that year for those with a household income of $14,000 or less or (ii) $70 if household income for that year is more than $14,000.

(c) Public aid recipients. If household income in one or more months during a year includes cash assistance in excess of $55 per month from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to the Department of Public Aid under the Department of Human Services Act) which was determined under regulations of that Department on a measure of need that included an allowance for actual rent or property taxes paid by the recipient of that assistance, the amount of grant to which that household is entitled, except as otherwise provided in subsection (a), shall be the product of (1) the maximum amount computed as specified in subsection (b) of this Section and (2) the ratio of the number of months in which household income did not include such cash assistance over $55 to the number twelve. If household income did not include such cash assistance over $55 for any months during the year, the amount of the grant to which the household is entitled shall be the maximum amount computed as specified in subsection (b) of this Section. For purposes of this paragraph (c), "cash assistance" does not include any amount received under the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

(d) Joint ownership. If title to the residence is held jointly by the claimant with a person who is not a member of his or her household, the amount of property taxes accrued used in computing the amount of grant to which he or she is entitled shall be the same percentage of property taxes accrued as is the percentage of ownership held by the claimant in the residence.

(e) More than one residence. If a claimant has occupied more than one residence in the taxable year, he or she may claim only one residence for any part of a month. In the case of property taxes accrued, he or she shall prorate 1/12 of the total property taxes accrued on his or her residence to each month that he or she owned and occupied that residence; and, in the case of rent constituting property taxes accrued, shall prorate each month's rent payments to the residence actually occupied during that month.

(f) (Blank).

(g) Effective January 1, 2006, there is hereby established a program of pharmaceutical assistance to the aged and to persons with disabilities, entitled the Illinois Seniors and Disabled Drug Coverage Program, which shall be administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department on Aging in accordance with this subsection, to consist of coverage of specified prescription drugs on behalf of beneficiaries of the program as set forth in this subsection. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Act to the contrary, on and after July 1, 2012, pharmaceutical assistance under this Act shall no longer be provided, and on July 1, 2012 the Illinois Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Pharmaceutical Assistance Program shall terminate. The following provisions that concern the Illinois Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Pharmaceutical Assistance Program shall continue to apply on and after July 1, 2012 to the extent necessary to pursue any actions authorized by subsection (d) of Section 9 of this Act with respect to acts which took place prior to July 1, 2012.

To become a beneficiary under the program established under this subsection, a person must:

(1) be (i) 65 years of age or older or (ii) a person with a disability; and

(2) be domiciled in this State; and

(3) enroll with a qualified Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan if eligible and apply for all available subsidies under Medicare Part D; and

(4) for the 2006 and 2007 claim years, have a maximum household income of (i) less than $21,218 for a household containing one person, (ii) less than $28,480 for a household containing 2 persons, or (iii) less than $35,740 for a household containing 3 or more persons; and

(5) for the 2008 claim year, have a maximum household income of (i) less than $22,218 for a household containing one person, (ii) $29,480 for a household containing 2 persons, or (iii) $36,740 for a household containing 3 or more persons; and

(6) for 2009 claim year applications submitted during calendar year 2010, have annual household income of less than (i) $27,610 for a household containing one person; (ii) less than $36,635 for a household containing 2 persons; or (iii) less than $45,657 for a household containing 3 or more persons; and

(7) as of September 1, 2011, have a maximum household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

All individuals enrolled as of December 31, 2005, in the pharmaceutical assistance program operated pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section and all individuals enrolled as of December 31, 2005, in the SeniorCare Medicaid waiver program operated pursuant to Section 5-5.12a of the Illinois Public Aid Code shall be automatically enrolled in the program established by this subsection for the first year of operation without the need for further application, except that they must apply for Medicare Part D and the Low Income Subsidy under Medicare Part D. A person enrolled in the pharmaceutical assistance program operated pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section as of December 31, 2005, shall not lose eligibility in future years due only to the fact that they have not reached the age of 65.

To the extent permitted by federal law, the Department may act as an authorized representative of a beneficiary in order to enroll the beneficiary in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan if the beneficiary has failed to choose a plan and, where possible, to enroll beneficiaries in the low-income subsidy program under Medicare Part D or assist them in enrolling in that program.

Beneficiaries under the program established under this subsection shall be divided into the following 4 eligibility groups:

(A) Eligibility Group 1 shall consist of beneficiaries who are not eligible for Medicare Part D coverage and who are:

(i) a person with a disability and under age 65; or

(ii) age 65 or older, with incomes over 200% of the Federal Poverty Level; or

(iii) age 65 or older, with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and not eligible for federally funded means-tested benefits due to immigration status.

(B) Eligibility Group 2 shall consist of beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicare Part D coverage.

(C) Eligibility Group 3 shall consist of beneficiaries age 65 or older, with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, who are not barred from receiving federally funded means-tested benefits due to immigration status and are not eligible for Medicare Part D coverage.

If the State applies and receives federal approval for a waiver under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, persons in Eligibility Group 3 shall continue to receive benefits through the approved waiver, and Eligibility Group 3 may be expanded to include persons with disabilities who are under age 65 with incomes under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level who are not eligible for Medicare and who are not barred from receiving federally funded means-tested benefits due to immigration status.

(D) Eligibility Group 4 shall consist of beneficiaries who are otherwise described in Eligibility Group 2 who have a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS.

The program established under this subsection shall cover the cost of covered prescription drugs in excess of the beneficiary cost-sharing amounts set forth in this paragraph that are not covered by Medicare. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services may establish by emergency rule changes in cost-sharing necessary to conform the cost of the program to the amounts appropriated for State fiscal year 2012 and future fiscal years except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act shall not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (g). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (g) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

For purposes of the program established under this subsection, the term "covered prescription drug" has the following meanings:

For Eligibility Group 1, "covered prescription drug" means: (1) any cardiovascular agent or drug; (2) any insulin or other prescription drug used in the treatment of diabetes, including syringe and needles used to administer the insulin; (3) any prescription drug used in the treatment of arthritis; (4) any prescription drug used in the treatment of cancer; (5) any prescription drug used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; (6) any prescription drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease; (7) any prescription drug used in the treatment of glaucoma; (8) any prescription drug used in the treatment of lung disease and smoking-related illnesses; (9) any prescription drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis; and (10) any prescription drug used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The Department may add additional therapeutic classes by rule. The Department may adopt a preferred drug list within any of the classes of drugs described in items (1) through (10) of this paragraph. The specific drugs or therapeutic classes of covered prescription drugs shall be indicated by rule.

For Eligibility Group 2, "covered prescription drug" means those drugs covered by the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan in which the beneficiary is enrolled.

For Eligibility Group 3, "covered prescription drug" means those drugs covered by the Medical Assistance Program under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

For Eligibility Group 4, "covered prescription drug" means those drugs covered by the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan in which the beneficiary is enrolled.

Any person otherwise eligible for pharmaceutical assistance under this subsection whose covered drugs are covered by any public program is ineligible for assistance under this subsection to the extent that the cost of those drugs is covered by the other program.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall establish by rule the methods by which it will provide for the coverage called for in this subsection. Those methods may include direct reimbursement to pharmacies or the payment of a capitated amount to Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.

For a pharmacy to be reimbursed under the program established under this subsection, it must comply with rules adopted by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services regarding coordination of benefits with Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. A pharmacy may not charge a Medicare-enrolled beneficiary of the program established under this subsection more for a covered prescription drug than the appropriate Medicare cost-sharing less any payment from or on behalf of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services or the Department on Aging, as appropriate, may adopt rules regarding applications, counting of income, proof of Medicare status, mandatory generic policies, and pharmacy reimbursement rates and any other rules necessary for the cost-efficient operation of the program established under this subsection.

(h) A qualified individual is not entitled to duplicate benefits in a coverage period as a result of the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19.)

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