Rep. Mary Flowers

Creates the STAR Bonds Financing Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Creates the Pediatric Palliative Care Act. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall develop a pediatric palliative care pilot program under which a qualifying child may receive community-based pediatric palliative care from a trained interdisciplinary team while continuing to pursue aggressive curative treatments for a potentially life-limiting medical condition under the benefits available under the Medicaid program. Provides that the Department shall apply for a federal waiver to conduct the program. Provides that a "qualifying child" for the pilot program is a child under the age of 18 years who is enrolled in the Medicaid program and suffers from a potentially life-limiting medical condition. Sets forth certain counties to be included in the pilot program. Requires a report to the General Assembly at the end of the 3-year pilot period. Amends the Hospice Program Licensing Act; requires the Hospice and Palliative Care Advisory Board to review pediatric palliative care issues. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Property Tax Appeal Board for its FY 10 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Registered Titles (Torrens) Act. Deletes a provision concerning excess funds in a county indemnity fund that states that the county may transfer and expend excess indemnity fund monies for the benefit of real property owners as the county deems appropriate, if at least 50% of the excess monies are transferred to the lead poisoning prevention fund but the county may not expend excess indemnity fund monies for any purpose other than lead poisoning prevention until it first designs, implements, and starts making loan or grant payments under the lead poisoning prevention program. Provides that this amendatory Act does not preempt, rescind, modify, or revise any local, State, or federal laws or rules governing lead paint mitigation or abatement or lead poisoning prevention. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning receiving procedures.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning appeals by the State.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the definition of "severely or profoundly mentally retarded person".

Amends the Children and Family Services Act, the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Makes changes concerning (i) services to facilitate the achievement of permanency goals for children subject to certain juvenile court actions and (ii) the conditions under which continuing foster care may be selected by the court as a child's permanency goal. Imposes conditions on any rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.

Amends the Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act. Provides that "physical fitness facility" does not include any outdoor facility that is owned or operated by a municipality or township. Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall combine best practices and methods and programmatic functions of the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching's Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program into one program, to be known as the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program and managed by the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Provides that this consolidated program shall be fully operational before July 1, 2012 and that Fiscal Year 2012 shall be the last year that Illinois Future Teacher Corps scholarships are available. Provides for a transition period. Requires the Commission to transfer funding from the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Provides that following the completion of the transition of funding, all applications for scholarship assistance shall be in a form determined by the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Provides that the eligibility requirements apply only to Illinois Future Teacher Corps scholarships. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.