Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning long-term care provider assessments.
Congratulates Louis C. Cairo of Chicago on being named the Italian American Labor Council of Greater Chicago's Man of the Year.
Congratulates The Decalogue Society of Lawyers on its 70th anniversary.
Creates the Public Service Accountability Act. Sets out the requirements for privatization contracts between contractors and State agencies. Provides for the monitoring and enforcement of privatization contracts. Establishes fines and prison sentences for a violation of certain Sections of the Act. Effective immediately.
Creates the Comprehensive Housing, Health, and Supportive Services for Older Adults Act and amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act, the State Finance Act, and the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Director of Public Health, in coordination with the Director of Aging and the Director of Public Aid, to monitor and analyze the distribution of housing and services for older adults in the different geographic areas of the State and implement corrective action plans by July 1, 2005. Provides for a program for conversion of nursing homes to assisted living or shared housing establishments; makes such conversions exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act, and provides for transition planning grants to nursing homes making such conversions. Creates special funds in the State treasury for use in implementing the Comprehensive Housing, Health, and Supportive Services for Older Adults Act. Provides for transfers from the Long Term Care Monitor/Receiver Fund to the new Nursing Home Conversion Fund and the new Nursing Home Transition Planning Grant Fund. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Cancer Trial Discrimination Prohibition Law. Contains only a short title provision. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practice Act. Prohibits a person whose prior notary commission was suspended, canceled, or revoked from receiving another commission (now, a 10-year prohibition). Exempts notaries who are accredited immigration representatives (now, only attorneys) from the requirement that non-English advertisements of service include a notice that the notary is not an attorney. Applies the notice requirement to other identifying articles, such as letterhead and business cards. Prohibits the literal translation of various English terms that may imply the notary is an attorney. Prohibits a notary from accepting fees for immigration advice or assistance. Makes violations subject to fines, business offense penalties, and commission revocation. Makes other changes. Under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, imposes similar restrictions, requirements, and penalties on persons providing immigration services. Permits recovery of prohibited fees through compensatory damages and permits punitive damages of 3 times the amount of the fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Creates the Mercury Reduction Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency may participate in the establishment and implementation of a multi-state clearinghouse to assist in carrying out the purpose of mercury reduction. Provides that beginning July 1, 2005, no mercury-added product may be offered for final sale or use or distributed for promotional purposes in the State without prior written notification to the Environmental Protection Agency by the manufacturer of the product. Sets forth the requirements for this notification. Sets forth restrictions on the purchase or sale of certain mercury-added products. Provides that beginning July 1, 2006, no person may crush, shred, flatten, or otherwise process a motor vehicle for scrap metal without first making a good faith effort to remove any mercury light switches and mercury headlights. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2006, the Pollution Control Board must modify its rules governing universal hazardous waste as appropriate to promote the recycling, recovery, and proper management of elemental mercury and mercury-added products on a statewide basis. Sets forth penalties for violations of the Act. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Adds "vehicle recycler" to the list of persons who may not knowingly shred, scrap, dismantle, recycle, incinerate, handle, store, or otherwise manage any white good that contains any white components. Provides that no owner, operator, agent, employee of a junkyard or scrap dealership, or vehicle recycler may knowingly shred, scrap, dismantle, recycle, incinerate, handle, store, or otherwise manage any end-of-life motor vehicle that contains any mercury-added component. Defines "vehicle recycler", "end-of-life motor vehicle", and "mercury-added component". Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that it is a Class 3 felony for a first offense to commit a hate crime in an administrative facility or public or private dormitory facility of or associated with a school or other educational facility. Effective immediately.
