Rep. Elizabeth Coulson

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Subject to appropriation, requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to award grants to eligible students who are participants in the Clinical Center Achieve Program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Provides that the Commission shall award grants to student participants based on a needs-based formula, as determined by the Commission, with the amount of the grant equal to the amount of fees charged the student as a participant of the program. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to implement the Colorectal Cancer Screening and Treatment Pilot Program in areas of the State that have the highest incidences of mortality related to colon cancer. Provides that the Program sites must be located in and operated through Federally Qualified Health Centers. Provides that the Program shall provide funding for colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests and shall provide colorectal cancer screening and treatment services for specified groups. Provides that these provisions are repealed 3 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code and the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Provides that for purposes of the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, "fire station" means a fire station with at least one staff person (instead of that is staffed with at least one full-time emergency medical professional). Provides that "newborn infant" means a child who a licensed physician reasonably believes is 30 (instead of 7) days old or less. Defines "safe haven" to mean a hospital, fire station, police station, or emergency medical facility at which a newborn infant may be relinquished. Provides that any public reporting of information required in connection with the relinquishment of a newborn infant, including, but not limited to, reporting required under the Vital Records Act or under any other law, shall identify the mother of the relinquished newborn infant and the infant as "unknown". Makes changes concerning the information packet that a hospital or other facility must offer to a person who relinquishes a newborn infant. Provides that a relinquished newborn infant's mother, as well as the infant, are eligible for medical assistance under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall notify a hospital to whom a newborn infant has been relinquished of the name of the child-placing agency authorized by the Department to take custody of the infant from the hospital. Provides that if a relinquished newborn infant was born in a hospital and was relinquished to the hospital without having left the hospital, the Department need not verify that the infant is not a missing child before filing a petition for termination of parental rights.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and the Illinois Income Tax Act. Authorizes the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish systems and programs to encourage employers to match employee contributions to prepaid programs of college savings by making donations to the Commission for prepaid programs of college savings and its programs of grants and loans to make higher education affordable for all residents of the State and to receive, hold, and disburse all such funds made available through those programs for the purposes for which they are authorized by rule or by law. Creates an income tax credit for employers who, during the taxable year, make a matching donation on behalf of an employee. Provides that the credit is 25% of the matching donation, but not to exceed $500 per employee. Provides that the credit may be carried forward for 3 taxable years. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Makes changes to a Section concerning transition goals, supports, and services. Removes certain provisions concerning transition goals and supports. Provides instead that beginning no later than the first individualized education plan (IEP) in effect when the student turns age 14 1/2 (or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team) and updated annually thereafter, the IEP must include (i) measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments and other information available regarding the student that are related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills and (ii) the transition services needed to assist the student in reaching those goals, including courses of study. Makes changes concerning the transition planning process, including additional participants, the IEP identifying each person responsible for transition services, the involvement of a public or private entity outside of the school district in transition services, the limit on a public school's responsibility for delivering educational services, and submitting a summary to the local Transition Planning Committee. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that if an applicant for medical assistance is a resident in a nursing home, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services must notify the nursing home, in writing, of the Department's decision on the application. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of State Police Law and the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the Illinois Police Training Act, and the Missing Persons Identification Act. With respect to the State Police's missing endangered senior alert system: (i) refers to the alerts as "Silver" Alerts; (ii) requires that the Department coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in the public dissemination of the alerts and the promotion of the system; and (iii) requires that local law enforcement agencies provide for prompt use of Silver Alerts and public dissemination of photographs of missing endangered seniors. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Obesity Prevention Initiative Act. Provides that, within 90 days after the effective date of the Act, the Department of Public Health shall implement the Obesity Prevention Initiative.

Amends the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act and the Childhood Hunger Relief Act. Makes changes concerning the 3 components of the breakfast incentive program, including changing one of the components to a non-traditional breakfast incentive. Provides that in 2010 (instead of 2001) and in each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall provide to the Governor and the General Assembly, by a date not later than April 1 (instead of March 1), a report concerning schools and free, reduced price, and paid breakfasts and lunches; makes changes with respect to the content of the report. Makes changes concerning the school breakfast program under the Childhood Hunger Relief Act, including when and at which schools the program must be implemented and operated and opting out a school or schools from the school breakfast program requirement. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Increases the income limitation under the Act to $55,000 (instead of $50,000) beginning in 2009. Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the maximum income limitation under the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption is the income limitation set forth in the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Effective immediately.