Rep. Edward J. Acevedo

Honors Sergeant James Peterson on his retirement from the Cook County Sheriff's Department.

Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the requirement that a Conservation Police Officer have certain collegiate educational requirements is deemed to be satisfied if the applicant has been honorably discharged and has been awarded an Afghan or Iraqi campaign medal by one of the United States armed forces. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Service Member Civil Relief Act. Provides that nothing in the Act is intended to impair any existing right or benefit available to any service member. Provides that certain legal protections afforded to service members (and family members where specified) are subject to stated provisions of law. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to set forth a provision concerning stays of contested case hearings for service members. Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to set forth a provision concerning deadline extensions for service members. Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to make changes to the provision concerning bulk long distance telephone services for military personnel in military service (now on active duty). Amends the Military Code of Illinois, Illinois Municipal Code, Illinois Insurance Code, Public Utilities Act, Service Member's Employment Tenure Act, Code of Civil Procedure, Landlord and Tenant Act, Uniform Commercial Code, Interest Act, Retail Installment Sales Act, Military Personnel Cellular Phone Contract Termination Act, and Motor Vehicle Leasing Act to make changes in certain provisions concerning military personnel. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to provide that a violation of specified provisions regarding legal protections for military personnel constitutes a civil rights violation under the Illinois Human Rights Act.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Act, no person other than the State of Illinois, its agencies and institutions, or a unit of local government shall own or operate (rather than conduct) any waste disposal operation on or after March 1, 1985, which requires a specified permit, unless that person has posted with the Agency a performance bond or other security. Provides that, on and after the effective date established by the USEPA for MSWLF units to provide financial assurance under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, no person, other than the State of Illinois, its agencies and institutions, shall own or operate (rather than conduct) any disposal operation at a MSWLF unit that requires a specified permit, unless that person has posted with the Agency a performance bond or other security. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employment Records Act. Provides that each State agency shall include in its annual report a description of the agency's activities in implementing the State Asian Employment Plan. Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law. Provides that in consultation with knowledgeable persons and organizations, the Department shall each year prepare an Asian Employment Plan and report to the General Assembly each State agency's activities that implement the plan. Provides that each State agency shall implement strategies and programs in accord with the State Asian Employment Plan to increase the number of Asian State employees in supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial positions. Requires each agency to report annually to the Department and the Department of Human Rights concerning the agency's activities in implementing the plan. Specifies information to be included in each agency's annual report. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Repeals a provision concerning the placement of involuntary transfer or discharge notices in a nursing home resident's clinical record. Amends the ID/DD Community Care Act. Repeals a provision concerning the transmission of involuntary transfer or discharge notices to the Department of Public Health, the named resident, the resident's representative, and, if the resident's care is paid for in whole or in part with federal funds, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes the term "exceptional medical care" and its corresponding definition. Repeals a provision requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to enter into a contract for $1,000,000 with the provider of community mental health services that has more than 700 beds at over 30 service locations in multiple counties for purposes of supporting the implementation of time-limited resident review and rapid reintegration targeted to residents of federally defined Institutions for Mental Disease. Repeals a provision requiring the Department to utilize up to $2,000,000 of the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations for federally defined Institutions for Mental Disease to pay providers of community mental health services that are certified by the Department of Human Services. Effective immediately.

Amends the Collateral Recovery Act. Defines "automobile rental company". Provides that the Act does not apply to an automobile rental company or the employee of an automobile rental company when engaged in an activity otherwise covered by the Act if the activity is conducted by the employee on behalf of that automobile rental company. Provides that the Act does not apply to a towing company or towing operator when an employee or agent of an automobile rental company is present at the site from which the vehicle is towed. Provides that the Act does not apply to persons engaged in the recovery of collateral that is incidental to and within the scope of the person's primary business purpose and the primary business purpose is other than repossession. Effective July 1, 2012.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Makes changes in the provision concerning definitions to include "Emergency Medical Services Personnel". Makes changes in the provisions concerning scope of services, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Regions, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems, the development and content of EMS Region Plans, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Resource Hospitals, EMS System participation suspensions and due process, the State Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Review Board, Emergency Medical Services Personnel licensure levels (now Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) licensure), scope of practice, EMS Lead Instructors, Emergency Medical Dispatchers, Trauma Nurse Specialist (TNS) licensure (now certification), Pre-Hospital RNs and Emergency Communications Registered Nurses, Trauma Center designations, Trauma Center misrepresentation, complaint investigations, violations and fines, misrepresentation, falsification of documents, criminal penalties, injunctions, the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, and the State Trauma Advisory Council. Repeals a provision concerning First Responders. Effective on January 1, 2013.

Thanks police officer Dennis Pociask of Chicago for his hard work during the NATO Summit.

Commends the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights for their work on the New Americans Initiative.