Rep. Mary Flowers

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to require coverage for all covered persons, including, but not limited to, pregnant women, women of childbearing potential, and children for non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection within 72 hours after exposure from sexual intercourse, sexual assault, rape, blood transfusion, injection drug use, or accidents.

Amends the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act. Strongly encourages a school board (including the board of a private school) to publish the school lunch menu and the nutrition content, including calories, of each meal item. Provides that a school board may determine the frequency and manner of publication. Amends the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act. Requires a comprehensive health education program to include instruction in secondary schools on clinical depression and suicide prevention. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Creates the Certified Professional Midwife Licensure Act. Provides for the regulation of persons providing midwifery services through licensure by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to repeal the new Act on January 1, 2018. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act to provide that those Acts do not prohibit the practice of midwifery by persons licensed under the Certified Professional Midwives Licensure Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Personnel Code. Establishes a preference in an entrance examination of 5 points for a person if: (i) he or she has been discharged from a prison of this State; (ii) he or she has been wrongfully accused of a crime for which he or she was imprisoned; and (iii) either a court of competent jurisdiction finds that the evidence that resulted in his or her conviction was erroneous or that new evidence indicates that the person did not commit the crime for which he or she was imprisoned or the accused received a pardon from the Governor stating that such pardon is issued on the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was imprisoned. Amends the Court of Claims Act. Grants the court exclusive jurisdiction over claims for time unjustly served when the person was wrongfully accused of the crime for which he or she was imprisoned and a court of competent jurisdiction finds that the evidence that resulted in his or her conviction was erroneous or that new evidence indicates that the person did not commit the crime for which he or she was imprisoned (in addition to jurisdiction when the person received a pardon by the Governor stating that such pardon is issued on the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was imprisoned). Increases the maximum statutory awards to a person released from prison because of these factors. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Requires that the training of probationary and permanent police officers, including those of home rule units, include sensitivity training with regard to the African American male population of Illinois. Preempts home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Cook County Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Creates an alternative retirement annuity and survivor's benefit for sworn sheriff's personnel. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Congratulates the employees of Republic Windows & Doors and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America for their success in obtaining wages and benefits to which the employees are legally entitled through peaceful and concerted action that has inspired the nation.

Amends the School Code. Provides that if a student must be transferred from one attendance center to another within a school district because the attendance center the student is currently attending exceeds its attendance capacity, then the attendance center the student is to be transferred to must not be an attendance center that is on the academic watch list. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective July 1, 2008.

Amends the School Code. Allows children who have attended preschool and will attain the age of 5 years on or before December 1 of the year of the 2007-2008 school term and each school term thereafter to attend school upon commencement of such term (now, a child must attain age 5 on or before September 1). Makes related changes. Effective July 1, 2007.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act and the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that when a child is the subject of an action under the "Abused, Neglected or Dependent Minors" Article of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the child's service plan calls for certain family preservation services, the court hearing the action under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 may order the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to provide the family preservation services set out in the plan, if those services are not provided with reasonable promptness. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. In provisions concerning dispositional orders with respect to abused, neglected, or dependent minors, makes changes concerning a court's findings and the service plan developed by DCFS; provides that unless otherwise specifically authorized by law, the court is not empowered to order specific placements, specific services, or specific service providers to be included in the plan. Amends the Adoption Act. In provisions concerning grounds for finding a parent "unfit", provides that if a petition alleges that a parent failed to make reasonable progress toward the return of a child, the 9-month period is tolled during any period for which there is a court finding that the parent's failure to make reasonable progress was due to factors beyond the parent's control. Makes other changes.