Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that, in computing the compensation to be paid to an employee who, before the accident for which the employee claims compensation, had previously sustained an injury resulting in the payment of compensation for a percentage of partial disability, that percentage of partial disability shall be deducted from any award made for a subsequent injury to the same portion of the body as was involved in the prior injury for which compensation was paid; however, nothing in those provisions permits cumulative awards for compensation for partial disability to exceed 500 weeks, which shall constitute complete loss of use of the body as a whole. Provides that, for purposes of computing compensation in nonfatal cases, injuries to the shoulder shall be considered to be injuries to part of the arm and injuries to the hip shall be considered to be injuries to part of the leg and also provides that those amendatory changes are declarative of existing law and are not new enactments. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Adds the Departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice to the government officials or agencies to which there can be disclosure of the mental health records of a person who received services or who was evaluated, investigated, or prosecuted pursuant to the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, without the consent of the person or the treatment provider involved. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that, within 25 business days after a State agency receives a vendor's bill or invoice for goods or services payable from the General Revenue Fund, or as soon thereafter as practical, the State agency must either (i) submit a voucher to the Comptroller for payment of the bill or invoice or (ii) return the bill or invoice to the vendor to correct specified errors or inaccuracies in the bill or invoice. Provides that, within 5 business days after the Comptroller receives the error-free voucher, the Comptroller must approve or deny the voucher. Provides that, within 2 business days after approval of a voucher, the Comptroller shall post the payment transaction or the accounts payable transaction in aggregate for vouchers payable from the General Revenue Fund on the Comptroller's website. Effective immediately.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that registered tax purchasers are prohibited from making campaign contributions to candidates for county treasurer in the county in which the tax purchaser is registered. Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that tax purchasers in all counties must register with the county collector. Preempts the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for the issuance of ABATE special license plates for passenger vehicles of the first division, motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds, and motorcycles. Provides that, in addition to the appropriate registration fees, an applicant for the special plates shall be charged a fee of $15 at original issuance and $2 at each renewal. Provides that the additional fees shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. Effective January 1, 2012.
Re-enacts and changes various provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure relating to product liability actions that were added by Public Act 89-7, which was held to be void in its entirety by the Illinois Supreme Court in Best v. Taylor Machine Works, 179 Ill. 2d 367 (1997). Effective immediately.
Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the computation of time.
Amends the Township Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that any punitive damages awarded against a township or a municipality shall be capped at 2 times the amount awarded to the claimant or $250,000, whichever is greater.
Urges the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) to (i) competitively bid for an auditing firm to conduct an audit of the 5 State-funded retirement systems, (ii) report the auditing firm's findings to the General Assembly and Governor within one year after the adoption of the resolution, and (iii) publish the auditing firm's findings on the COGFA website.
Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, if a person turns 70 years of age or older during the taxable year and he or she qualified for a Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption or a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption in the previous taxable year, then the person qualifying need not reapply for the exemption. Effective immediately.