Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Provides that the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with mental or physical developmental disabilities shall communicate to the other parent in writing any major decision regarding the minor child's education or medical, dental, or psychological treatment. Provides that the other parent shall in a timely manner agree or object to the decision. Provides that a parent may not unreasonably withhold approval of the other parent's decision. Provides that objections that are not resolved must be submitted to mediation and, if that does not succeed, the matter shall be resolved by the court. Provides that if the court finds that the objecting parent unreasonably withheld agreement, the objecting parent shall be ordered to pay the mediation fees and the other parent's attorney's fees.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Supreme Court Act. Provides that the Supreme Court shall establish rules requiring that immediately upon the assignment of a matter to a judge, an attorney in the matter must disclose to the court and parties to the matter any campaign contribution made to that judge by the attorney or the attorney's law firm. Provides that the rules shall provide that in the event that the aggregate of any campaign contributions in excess of $500 was made in the past 5 years to the judge's campaign by the attorney or the attorney's law firm, the judge shall disqualify himself or herself upon timely application made by a party to the matter who has not made any contribution to the judge's campaign. Provides that the rules shall not preclude disqualification due to any other rule or with respect to contributions under $500 or made more than 5 years before the assignment of the matter to the judge. Provides that the rules shall apply to contributions to a person who becomes a judge and who received contributions to the person's campaign for a nomination for election to any judicial office, an election of a judicial candidate, and a judicial retention election. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. Provides that arbitration panels hearing security employee, peace officer, firefighter, and paramedic disputes must not take into consideration the ability of a unit of government to raise taxes or impose new taxes when determining the financial ability of that unit of government to pay the costs associated with those employees' wages and other conditions of employment. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the question to impose a school facility occupation tax shall not be submitted to the electors unless each school district that receives a disbursement of tax proceeds under this Section has legally bound itself to abate its taxes on real property by one dollar for each and every dollar of tax proceeds that it receives under this Section.
Creates the Manufacturing Job Destination Tax Credit Act and amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides for a credit of 25% of the Illinois labor expenditures made by a manufacturing company in order to foster job creation and retention in Illinois. Authorizes the Department of Revenue to award a tax credit to taxpayer-employers who apply for the credit and meet certain Illinois labor expenditure requirements. Sets minimum requirements and procedures for certifying a taxpayer as an "accredited manufacturer" and for awarding the credit. Effective immediately.
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. With respect to any State statute or administrative rule that defines a general education classroom to be composed of a certain percentage of students with individualized education programs (IEPs), provides that students with individualized education programs shall exclude students for whom instruction in the general education classroom does not require modification to the content of the general education curriculum (instead of excluding students receiving only speech services outside of the general education classroom, provided that the instruction the students receive in the general education classroom does not require modification). Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides, with regard to a reduction in the amount of recovery from a judgment, additional reductions in an amount equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the amount of the benefits that is in excess of the amount which has been paid, not the amount billed (as shown through evidence that proves that the injured person's bill was paid in full by an amount that is less than the stated charge) by the injured person or third party and (ii) 100% of the amount of the medical benefits that is in excess of the amount which was paid by a governmental or charitable entity and for which the health provider has released the injured party from all claims shall be deducted from any judgment in an action based on an allegation of negligence or other wrongful act on the part of a licensed hospital or physician, provided that specified procedures are followed.
Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the appeal of a decision by the Workers' Compensation Commission on compensability of a State employee's claim for workers' compensation benefits may be made to the circuit court.
Amends the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act. Provides that a child welfare agency that is religiously based or owned by, operated by, or affiliated with a bona fide religious organization may decline an adoption or foster family home application, including any related licensure and placement, from a party to a civil union if acceptance of that application would constitute a violation of the organization's sincerely held religious beliefs and, if an agency declines an application, it must provide the applicant with information on how to contact the Department of Children and Family Services to obtain information concerning other regional licensed child welfare agencies.
Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that an "accident" is an occurrence that arises out of employment resulting from a risk incidental to and in the course of the employment at a time and place and under circumstances reasonably required by the employment. Provides that an "injury" is an occurrence that arises out of and in the course of employment. Provides that an injury by accident is compensable only if the accident was the primary factor in causing both the resulting medical condition and disability. Provides that certain conditions and impairments of health suffered by firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians shall be rebuttably presumed not to arise out of employment unless the accident is the primary factor in causing the resulting medical condition. Abolishes certain notice and election provisions in connection with preferred providers. Specifies that fees for certain prescriptions shall be limited to the manufacturer's Average Wholesale Price (rather than the Average Wholesale Price). Provides that an employee may overcome the rebuttable presumption that intoxication was the proximate cause of the injury by a preponderance of the evidence that the intoxication was not the sole proximate cause, rather than sole proximate cause or proximate cause, of the accidental injury.