Rep. Lisa Hernandez

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Creates the Military Prior Learning Assessment Task Force within the Board of Higher Education to study and make recommendations on how to best effectuate the recognition of military learning for academic credit, industry-recognized credentials, and college degrees through the use of the Prior Learning Assessment. Sets forth the membership of the task force and what the task force's study must include. Requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations on or before December 1, 2016. Repeals these provisions on December 1, 2017. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the definition of "conviction".

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Children and Family Services shall establish a child protection training academy for child protective investigators and supervisors employed by the Department or its contractors, and for other State and county employees, judges, court personnel, service providers, mental health professionals, law enforcement, foster parents, and other appropriate individuals and entities that are involved in providing child welfare services and that work directly with abused or neglected children. Provides that the training efforts of the academy shall include, but shall not be limited to, establishing: (i) training curricula on recognizing and responding to cases of child abuse or neglect; (ii) laboratory training facilities that include mock houses, mock medical facilities, mock courtrooms, and mock forensic interview rooms that allow for simulated, interactive, and intensive training; and (iii) minimum standards of competence that a person shall be required to demonstrate prior to receiving certification from the academy. Provides that by January 1, 2016, the Department shall adopt rules for the administration of the child protection training academy that not only establish statewide competence, assessment, and training standards for persons providing child welfare services, but that also ensure that persons who provide child welfare services have the knowledge, skills, professionalism, and abilities to make decisions that keep children safe and secure. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of State Police shall develop a coordinated program for a statewide emergency alert system when a person 21 years old or older who is believed to have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias is reported missing. Provides that the system shall be referred to as the Silver Alert system and shall include, but is not limited to, an electronic message sent to all law enforcement agencies; use of the emergency alert system; the use of electronic billboards and message signs in coordination with the Illinois Department of Transportation if a vehicle is involved; posting of the Silver Alert message on Illinois Lottery terminals; the designation by the Department of a contact name and toll-free telephone number for tips and information; blast email and fax messages to media outlets; activation of a local reverse 911 systems to all businesses and residents if the person is on foot. Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Transportation shall coordinate with the Department of State Police in the use of electronic message signs on roads and highways to immediately provide critical information to the public concerning missing persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. Amends the Missing Persons Identification Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to publish on its Internet website the exemption from immunization data it receives from schools. Provide that parents or legal guardians who object to health, dental, or eye examinations or immunizations on religious grounds must present to the appropriate local school authority a Department of Public Health objection form, detailing the grounds for the objection and signed by the parent or legal guardian, as well as a religious official attesting to a bona fide religious objection whose signature must be notarized (instead of presenting a signed statement of objection detailing the grounds for the objection). Requires the Department of Public Health to develop and publish a uniform objection form for this particular use. Provides that if the physical condition of a child is such that any one or more of the immunizing agents should not be administered, the child's parent or legal guardian must present to the appropriate local school authority a statement signed by the child's regular examining physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant attesting to that fact. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or for a real estate broker or salesman, because of unlawful discrimination or familial status, to make or print (instead of "print") materials or statements which express any preference or limitation (instead of "limitation") founded upon or indicating an intent to engage in discrimination based upon familial status (in addition to unlawful discrimination). Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall assess high school students using a college and career ready determination that shall be accepted by this State's public institutions of higher education for the purpose of student application or admissions consideration.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Creates the "Achieving a Better Life Experience" or "ABLE" account program to encourage and assist individuals and families in saving private funds for the purpose of supporting persons with disabilities in endeavors to maintain health, independence, and quality of life, and to provide secure funding for disability-related expenses on behalf of designated beneficiaries with disabilities that will supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insurance, federal and State medical and disability insurance, the beneficiary's employment, and other sources. Provides that the State Treasurer shall be primarily responsible for the plan but shall work with the Illinois State Board of Investment. Sets forth the requirements of the plan. Requires the State Treasurer to adopt rules to implement the program. Defines required terms.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall create and maintain a website to help persons wishing to create new businesses or relocate businesses to Illinois. Establishes requirements for information to be included on the website.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning July 1, 2015, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall publish monthly reports on its website on the enrollment of persons in the State's medical assistance program, and the enrollment of recipients of medical assistance into a Medicaid Managed Care Entity contracted by the Department. Provides that the monthly reports shall include certain information for the medical assistance program generally and, separately, for each Medicaid Managed Care Entity contracted by the Department, including: (i) total enrollment and (ii) the number of persons enrolled in the medical assistance program pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Requires the Department to annually publish on its website every Medicaid Managed Care Entity's quality metrics outcomes and to make public an independent annual quality review report on the State's Medicaid managed care delivery system. Requires the Department to compile on a monthly basis data on eligibility redeterminations of beneficiaries of medical assistance. Requires the data to be posted on the Department's website and to include certain information, including: (a) the total number of redetermination decisions made in a month and, of that total number, the number of decisions to continue benefits, the number of decisions to change benefits, and the number of decisions to cancel benefits; and (b) if a vendor is procured to assist the Department in the redetermination process, the total number of redetermination decisions made in a month with the involvement of the vendor and without the involvement of the vendor. Effective immediately.