Rep. John A. Fritchey

Amends the Riverboat Gambling Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, in choosing and using investment advisers and investment services, the State Board of Investment and the board of trustees of a pension fund shall be particularly conscious of the potential for conflicts of interest. Provides that the State Board of Investment and the board of trustees of a pension fund may by contract, and the Department of Insurance may by rule, require investment advisers and providers of investment services to declare and report potential conflicts of interest that may affect their fiduciary duties. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code and the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In provisions requiring an applicant for employment with a school district to undergo a criminal background investigation, requires that the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database be searched (now requires only the Illinois criminal history records database to be searched). Makes related changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Creates the Medical Information Confidentiality Act. Provides that a health care provider, health care service plan (such as an HMO), or contractor (such as a medical group) may not disclose medical information regarding a patient of the provider or an enrollee or subscriber of the health care service plan without first obtaining an authorization. Provides for exceptions. States the requirements that an authorization must meet. Provides that a patient whose medical information has been disclosed in violation of the Act and who has sustained economic loss or personal injury may recover damages, and provides that a violation that results in such loss or injury is a Class C misdemeanor. Provides for the assessment of civil penalties for violations of the Act. Prohibits a waiver permitting the disclosure of information that otherwise may not be disclosed. Amends the Children and Family Services Act, the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the AIDS Confidentiality Act, and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act to provide that in the case of a conflict between those Acts and the Medical Information Confidentiality Act, those Acts control. Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act to provide for the right of each patient to privacy and confidentiality in health care as provided in the Medical Information Confidentiality Act (instead of particularizing the details of that right).

Amends Public Act 92-538, "An Act regarding appropriations". Appropriates $1,800,000 (instead of $1,460,000) to the Department of Public Health for grants to the Metro Chicago Hospital Council for support of the Illinois Poison Control Center. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the annual refresher course that holders of school bus driver permits are required to complete must include, in the first year and every third succeeding year, certification of proficiency in First Aid and, in the first year and each succeeding year, certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Creates the Limitation on Distributing Tobacco Products Act. Prohibits the sale of cigarettes in a pack of less than 20. Prohibits the distribution of free tobacco samples. Provides that a person who violates this Act is guilty of a petty offense.

Appropriates $2,200,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for grants to the Metro Chicago Hospital Council for support of the Illinois Poison Control Center. Effective July 1, 2003.

Amends the Sale of Tobacco to Minors Act, the Smokeless Tobacco Limitation Act, and the Tobacco Accessories and Smoking Herbs Control Act. Changes the short title of the Sale of Tobacco to Minors Act (to the Sale of Tobacco to Underage Persons Act) and changes the full titles of all 3 Acts. Changes references to "minors" to "persons under 19 years of age". Increases from 18 to 19 the age at which a person may lawfully buy cigarettes or other tobacco products, tobacco accessories, or smoking herbs. Effective January 1, 2004.

Amends the Riverboat Gambling Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.