Rep. Bob Rita

Amends the Ticket Scalping Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning service charges.

Mourns the death of Joseph Howard Haley of Chicago.

Thanks Frank Gassmere, Village Services Director, for his 32 years of exceptional service to the Village of Crestwood.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the School Code's construction.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning July 1, 2005, the Department of Human Services shall annually increase the minimum reimbursement amount for funeral and burial expenses required under the Code by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers during the preceding 12 months. Effective immediately.

Creates the Hospital Basic Services Preservation Act. Establishes the Hospital Basic Services Preservation Fund to collateralize basic services loans from financial institutions for capital projects necessary to maintain certain basic services required for the efficient and effective operation of essential community hospital providers that may not otherwise be able to meet the credit standards of the financial institution. Requires hospitals receiving the loans to account for moneys received and ensure that those moneys are used for the basic services for which the loan was provided. Requires the State Treasurer to promulgate rules to administer the loan program. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Hospital Basic Services Preservation Fund.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that certain specially equipped vehicles used solely for recycling (as well as those used solely for garbage or refuse) hauls or operations are subject to special weight limits when not operating on interstate highways.

Creates the Home Care Consumer and Worker Protection Act. If an agency places a home care worker with a consumer to provide home care services, requires the agency to give the worker and the consumer a notice setting forth the rights and responsibilities of each of them as well as appropriate phone numbers and addresses of the Department on Aging. Provides that the Act does not apply to nursing homes, home health agencies, and certain other agencies. Provides that an agency subject to the Act must comply with the Health Care Worker Background Check Act and must ensure that every home care worker placed by the agency for hire by a consumer has the appropriate credentials and is appropriately licensed or certified as required by law. Authorizes the Department on Aging to investigate complaints of violations of the Act, issue cease-and-desist orders, and seek injunctive relief. Provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 per day for each day that a violation continues. Effective January 1, 2006.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the portion of a site or facility located in a county with a population over 3,000,000 that has obtained local siting approval under Section 39.2 of the Act for a municipal waste incinerator on or before July 1, 2005 and that is used for a non-hazardous waste transfer station is not a pollution control facility. Effective immediately.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to extend the repeal of the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act to January 1, 2016. Amends the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act. Provides that every roofing contractor shall affix the licensee's name, as it appears on the license (now, just requires the contractor to affix the licensee's name), on all commercial vehicles (rather than just vehicles) used as part of his or her business as a roofing contractor. Removes provisions concerning fees for applicants for initial certification who apply for licensure during the second half of the biennial period, fees for any change of the license that requires the issuance of a new license, and the maximum amount of the biennial renewal fee. Changes the number of members of the Roofing Advisory Board from 8 to 7. Removes a provision requiring one of the licensed roofing contractors on the Board to be a representative of an association predominately representing retailers. Effective immediately.