Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning school counselors, removes the requirement that a school counselor must hold or be qualified for an elementary, secondary, or special K-12 teaching certificate. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Health Finance Reform Act. Requires all hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and physicians licensed in the State to adopt a uniform electronic system for submitting patient charges for payment from public and private payors. Adds provisions concerning the collection and compilation of patient charge and quality of care data. Requires the Department of Public Health to inform the public regarding the availability of comparison health care charge data and quality of care information and to post certain information on its website by January 1, 2005. Requires the Department to study the most effective methods for publicly disclosing patient charge data and quality of care information and to report its findings to the Governor and to the General Assembly. Requires the Department to protect patient confidentiality under State and federal law. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department shall increase by at least 80 beds the capacity of the Illinois Veterans Home at LaSalle and shall request and expend federal grants for this Veterans Home addition. Effective immediately.
Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Gives voting rights to the 2 public members of the Medical Disciplinary Board and considers them for determining a quorum. Effective immediately.
Amends the Surface Coal Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act. Repeals provisions concerning the Surface Mining Advisory Council. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that there is no additional renewal fee for special plates issued to veterans or the spouses of veterans that do not require an additional renewal fee for a special fund other than the Secretary of State's Special License Plate Fund or the Road Fund.
Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Provides that a "developmental delay" means a delay of 30% or more below the mean in function in one or more areas of childhood development (rather than authorizing the Department of Human Services to define the extent of the delay by rule). Requires that interagency agreements under the Act ensure that early intervention services are considered to be covered medical services for purposes of the Medicaid Healthy Kids Program. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that at the written request of the insured, an insurer shall provide the insured's loss information to the insured's insurance producer. Effective immediately.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Specifies that the Board has the authority to require operators of sewage works to be certified as technically competent. Specifies that the Agency has the authority to administer the certification program and adopt technical standards for the certification of operators of sewage works. Specifies that the operator certification requirements may apply to pretreatment works as well as treatment works and collection systems. Authorizes the Agency to delegate portions of that authority to other agencies of State and local government. Preserves rules already in effect. Effective immediately.
Amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act. For purposes of determining representation on the Suburban Bus Board, includes the Village of Willow Springs in the Central Region and excludes the Village of Willow Springs from the Southwest Region (now, the Village of Willow Springs is included in the Southwest Region only). Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning reallocation.
Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Adds a caption to a Section concerning prescription drugs covered under the Act.
