Rep. Daniel V. Beiser

Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. In a provision concerning eligibility for grants under the Act, increases the household income eligibility limitations for grant year 2006, and provides that, for grant years 2007 and thereafter, the limitations shall be increased annually by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for the previous calendar year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Allows an income tax credit for each individual taxpayer who is a teacher teaching in a school in Illinois. Provides that the amount of the credit is equal to the eligible classroom expenses made by the taxpayer during the taxable year, but the credit may not exceed $500. Defines "eligible classroom expenses" as the aggregate amount of nonreimbursed classroom expenses made by the taxpayer during the taxable year less $250. Provides that the credit may not be carried forward or back and may not reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 unlawful sale of firearms provisions. Defines "application" for purposes of determining the waiting period for purchasing firearms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for the issuance of Iraqi Freedom license plates at an additional initial charge of $40 and an additional renewal charge of $27 with eligibility requirements to be determined by the Secretary of State. Provides that $15 of the initial charge and $2 of the renewal charge shall be paid into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund and $25 of the initial charge and $25 of the renewal charge shall be paid into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Provides that the moneys deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund from the sale of Iraqi Freedom license plates may, subject to appropriation, be used by the Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide grants to assist in the financial and educational support of minor and dependent children of veterans who died or were disabled in the line of duty.

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that the Director may select up to 3 Deputy Medical Coordinators (instead of one). Provides that, in the event of the settlement of any claim or cause of action in favor of the claimant or the reduction to final judgment of any civil action in favor of the plaintiff, the claim, cause of action, or civil action being grounded on the allegation that a person licensed under the Act was negligent in providing care, the Department shall have an additional period of 2 years (instead of one year) from the date of notification to the Department of the settlement or final judgment in which to investigate and commence formal disciplinary proceedings. Provides that the Director shall employ not less than one full-time investigator for every 3,000 (instead of 5,000) physicians licensed in the State. Provides that the Department shall expunge the records of any investigation concluded by dismissal or closure and any discipline solely for administrative matters 3 years after final disposition or after the statute of limitations has expired, whichever is greater. Removes language requiring the written consent of a patient for the release of the name or other means of identification of a patient in a report to the Disciplinary Board. Amends the Health Care Arbitration Act. Provides that no health care arbitration agreement shall be valid after 10 years (instead of 2 years) from the date of its execution. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a reviewing health professional's report shall contain the name and address of the reviewing health profession and documentation of his or her compliance with the witness standards. Changes the standards that the court shall apply to determine if a witness qualifies as an expert witness as follows: (i) requires the court to determine whether the witness is board certified or board eligible in the same medical specialties as the defendant and is familiar with the same medical problems or the type of treatment administered in the case (instead of the same relationship of the medical specialties of the witness to the medical problem and the type of treatment in the case); (ii) requires the court to determine whether the witness has devoted 75% (instead of a substantial portion) of his or her working hours to the practice of medicine, teaching, or university based research in relation to the medical care and type of treatment at issue; and (iii) requires the court to determine whether the witness is licensed by any state or the District of Columbia (instead of just licensed). Places limits on the amount of non-economic damages that may be awarded against a hospital and its personnel or against a physician and the physician's business or corporation in medical malpractice actions. Protects a physician's personal assets in healing art malpractice cases. Provides that non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases shall not exceed $750,000 against a hospital and its personnel and $500,000 against a physician and the physician's business or corporate entity awarded to all plaintiffs in any civil actions arising out of care. Makes various other changes in other Acts concerning health care. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Services Act. Provides that whenever any appropriation, or any portion of an appropriation, for any fiscal year relating to the funding of any State-operated facility operated by the Office of Developmental Disabilities within the Department of Human Services or any mental health facility operated by the Office of Mental Health within the Department is reduced because of any of the following reasons, those moneys must be directed toward providing other services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities or mental health needs: (1) closing of a State-operated facility; (2) reduction of the number of units or available beds in a State-operated facility; or (3) reduction in the number of staff at a State-operated facility. Provides that in determining whether any savings are realized from closure of a State-operated facility or a reduction in the number of units, available beds, or staff, sufficient moneys shall be made available to ensure that there is an appropriate level of staffing and that life, safety, and care concerns are addressed so as to provide for the remaining persons with developmental disabilities or mental illness at State-operated facilities. Provides that the plan for using any savings realized from such a closure or reduction must be shared and discussed with advocates, advocacy organizations, labor organizations, and advisory groups whose mission includes advocacy for persons with developmental disabilities or persons with mental illness. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. For public schools, changes the calculation of the "transition charge" by subtracting the greater of the following amounts: (i) 0.5 cents per kilowatt-hour during the period October 1, 1999 through December 31, 2004, 1.25 cents per kilowatt-hour in calendar year 2005, and 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour in calendar year 2006, multiplied in each year by an identified usage; or (ii) an amount equal to the following percentages of the amount produced by applying the applicable base rates or contract rate to the identified usage: 8% for the period October 1, 1999 through December 31, 2002, 10% in calendar years 2003 and 2004, 15% in calendar year 2005, and 25% in calendar year 2006 (now, the transition charge for public schools is calculated in the same manner as that of all nonresidential retail customers). Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires each natural gas public utility to file annually a set of transportation schedules or tariffs applicable to public schools authorizing a public school association to aggregate the purchase of natural gas for its members. Requires the transportation schedules or tariffs to (i) establish certain delivery charges; (ii) authorize a public school association to contract with a public utility at monthly market prices for interstate pipeline capacity; (iii) require the public utility to provide certain usage projections; and (iv) authorize the public utility to impose a penalty under limited circumstances. Authorizes the Illinois Commerce Commission to suspend the transportation schedule or tariff for up to 3 months. Requires energy sellers to comply with applicable Commission rules. Provides that any agreement between a public school association and an energy seller is void if the energy seller does not comply with Commission rules. Requires each natural gas public utility to file an annual statement of its revenues and incremental costs incurred as a direct result of the aggregation of natural gas for public schools. Authorizes the Commission to promulgate rules that are reasonable and necessary to administer the aggregation program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that the manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment exemption also includes production related tangible personal property. Defines "production related tangible personal property" as all tangible personal property used or consumed by the purchaser in a manufacturing facility in which a manufacturing process takes place, including tangible personal property purchased for incorporation into real estate within a manufacturing facility and including, but not limited to, tangible personal property used or consumed in activities such as preproduction material handling, receiving, quality control, inventory control, storage, staging, and packaging for shipping and transportation purposes. Provides that "production related tangible personal property" does not include (i) tangible personal property used, within or without a manufacturing facility, in sales, purchasing, accounting, fiscal management, marketing, personnel recruitment or selection, or landscaping or (ii) tangible personal property required to be titled or registered with a department, agency, or unit of federal, state, or local government. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any insurance company that pays a total loss claim on a vehicle and takes possession of that vehicle for the purpose of repair and sale must, within 5 business days of taking possession of the vehicle, report to the Secretary of State the vehicle identification number of that vehicle. Provides that the Secretary shall establish and maintain a website listing all the vehicle identification numbers reported to the Secretary under the provision. Provides that the Secretary shall adopt rules for implementing the provision.