Amends the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act and the Criminal Code of 1961. In the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act: (1) in the definition of "mandated reporter", removes references to "professional" and adds certain financial institutions as mandated reporters; (2) adds definitions of "protective services" and "self-neglect", and requires that suspected self-neglect be reported under the Act; (3) requires that a law enforcement officer accompany the representative of a provider agency on the first visit to a victim; (4) makes changes concerning the investigation of reports under the Act; (5) adds entities entitled to access to records of reports under the Act; (6) provides for cooperation between the Department on Aging and local law enforcement agencies; (7) authorizes actions to be taken in an emergency; and (8) makes other changes. In provisions of the Criminal Code of 1961 concerning the offense of financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability, (i) in the definition of "person with a disability", removes a reference to a "permanent" impairment and (ii) provides that "intimidation" also means the communication to an elderly person or a person with a disability that he or she will be deprived of contact with family members or a care provider or will be unnecessarily moved from his or her current residence to another residence or to a facility.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes various changes in provisions concerning Qualified Illinois Domestic Relations Orders.
Amends the Election Code and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires that deputy registrars accept voter registrations of persons residing anywhere in Illinois. Requires the Departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services, Public Aid, and Employment Services to provide voter registration at their facilities. Requires those Departments, the Secretary of State, and public institutions of higher learning to post downloadable, printable voter registration forms on their websites. Requires public institutions of higher learning to include voter registration forms in any student registration materials they mail to Illinois addresses. Authorizes General Assembly members to provide voter registration forms at their district offices. Requires that address changes made at driver services facilities with respect to driver's licenses be sent to the proper election authority unless the person specifically requests that the change not be sent for voter registration purposes. Requires first time voters who registered by mail to vote in person unless they first provide specified types of documents identifying their name and address. Permits a registered voter whose name has changed but who lives in the same precinct to vote after making an affidavit at the polling place as to his or her identity and registration (now, only if the name change occurred at certain times and only if another voter attests to his or her identity). Requires the election authority to treat the affidavit as a request to register under the new name. Permits election authorities that post specimen ballots on their websites to publish notice of the website specimen ballots and availability of specimen ballots by mail, as an alternative to publishing the specimen ballots in newspapers. Requires that an employer must give an employee 2 hours to vote if the employee's work day begins less than 2 hours after the polls open and ends less than 2 hours before the polls close. Prohibits an employer from reducing an employee's compensation as a result of the employee's absence to vote. With respect to electronic voting systems, removes the requirement that a vendor's computer codes must be kept confidential. Makes other changes.
Amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the establishment of the Authority.
Creates the Comprehensive Housing Planning Act. Provides that during the period from the effective date of the Act through June 30, 2016, the State of Illinois shall prepare and be guided by an annual comprehensive housing plan that is consistent with the affirmative fair housing provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act and specifically addresses certain underserved populations, including households earning below 50% of the area median income, low-income senior citizens, and low-income persons with a disability. Sets forth items that must be included in the plan, including (i) the identification of all funding sources for which the State has administrative control that are available for housing construction, rehabilitation, preservation, operating or rental subsidies, and supportive services and (ii) goals for the number and types of housing units to be constructed, preserved, or rehabilitated each year for the specified underserved populations. Provides for an Executive Committee and an Interagency Subcommittee. Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority, in consultation with the Interagency Subcommittee, to annually issue a joint Notice of Funding Availability to notify potential applicants of funding for specific programs expected to be available through State agencies to meet housing and supportive service needs identified in the Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan. Amends the Illinois Private Activity Bond Allocation Act; requires the issuer of bonds utilizing bond volume cap from the Local Government Pool and the State Agency Pool to file an annual report with the Governor and the General Assembly. Effective immediately.
Creates the Uniform Parentage Act. Provides rules for establishing a parent-child relationship, including rules for acknowledging and denying paternity. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to establish a registry of paternity, and requires that men who have timely registered be given notice of a proceeding for adoption or for termination of parental rights. Provides that the intentional, unauthorized release of information from the registry is a Class B misdemeanor. Provides rules for the genetic testing of a person to determine parentage. Provides rules for proceedings to adjudicate parentage, and authorizes the issuance of a temporary order for child support. Provides rules for determining the parentage of a child of assisted reproduction. Includes in the Uniform Parentage Act certain provisions previously contained in the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 concerning child support and other matters. Repeals the Illinois Parentage Act and the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984. Amends the Gestational Surrogacy Act; provides that attorneys' certifications that the gestational surrogate and the intended parent or parents entered into a gestational surrogacy contract shall be filed on forms prescribed by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services instead of forms prescribed by the Department of Public Health. Amends other Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2007.
Creates the FY07 Cost of Doing Business Adjustment Act. Provides that retroactive to July 1, 2006, a 3% increase shall be included in all purchase of care contracts and grant agreements paid under specified line items in the fiscal year 2007 State budget for the Department of Human Services, including early intervention, family case management, and domestic violence. Effective immediately.
Amends the Telecommunications Article of the Public Utilities Act. Increases the service credit that must be provided to a customer by a basic local exchange carrier if the carrier fails to repair an out-of-service phone within a specified time, fails to install service within a specified time, or fails to keep a scheduled repair or installation appointment at which a customer is required to be present. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Prohibits an insurer from excluding a grandchild from coverage or limiting coverage solely because the grandchild is adopted. Prohibits an insurer from excluding a child or grandchild from coverage or limiting coverage solely because the child or grandchild is unmarried and 25 years of age or younger or because the child or grandchild is unmarried, 30 years of age or younger, and a full-time student. Provides that a grandchild who is in the custody of the insured pursuant to a court order or placement of adoption vesting temporary care of the grandchild in the insured is an adopted child.
Congratulates Dr. Thomas M. Graber for being named as the winner of the 2006 Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame in the Education Category.