Amends the Perinatal HIV Prevention Act. Requires HIV testing of newborns when the HIV status of the mother is unknown (now, testing is voluntary). Requires counseling to include the voluntary nature of the HIV test for a pregnant woman. Requires the reporting of a positive HIV test for a newborn infant to an electronic surveillance system established by the Department of Public Health. Requires the Department to adopt rules specifying the information required in the report. Provides that the confidentiality provisions of the AIDS Confidentiality Act apply to the reports. Requires the Department or its authorized representative to provide case management services to ensure access to proper care. Provides that hospitals, laboratories, other facilities, and physicians will not be held liable for the release of information or confidential data in accordance with the Act. Requires all HIV exposed newborns to be treated to prevent HIV infection within 24 hours after birth and until 6 weeks after birth. Effective immediately.
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Amends the Illinois Health Care Finance Reform Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to require all ambulatory surgical treatment centers licensed to operate in the State (now, the requirement applies only to hospitals licensed to operate in the State) to adopt a uniform system for submitting patient claims and encounter data (now, patient billing data) for payment from public and private payors. Requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to submit billing data to the Department of Public Health no later than 60 days after the end of each calendar quarter. Requires the Department to include certain information in its "Consumer Guide to Health Care" on its website. Authorizes the Department to disclose certain information on its website. Authorizes the Department to promulgate rules concerning the provisions of the Illinois Health Care Finance Reform Act. Requires that ambulatory surgical treatment centers, organizations representing ambulatory surgical treatment centers, purchasers, consumer groups, and health plans be meaningfully involved in the development of all aspects of the Department's methodology for collecting, analyzing, and disclosing the information collected under this Act. Requires the Department to evaluate additional methods for comparing the performance of hospitals and ambulatory surgical treatment centers and report its findings and recommendations on its Internet website and to the Governor and General Assembly no later than January 1, 2006. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any person who uses a consumer credit report in connection with the approval of credit based on the application for an extension of credit, and who has received notification of a police report filed with a consumer credit reporting agency that the applicant has been a victim of aggravated identity theft, may not lend money or extend credit without taking reasonable steps to verify the consumer's identity and confirm that the application for an extension of credit is not the result of financial identity theft or aggravated identity theft. Adds that a consumer may place a security freeze on his or her credit report by making a request directly to the consumer credit reporting agency through a secure electronic mail connection, if an electronic mail connection is provided by the consumer credit reporting agency. Provides that a consumer credit reporting agency shall not charge a fee for placing, removing, or removing for a specific party or period of time a security freeze on a credit report, if the consumer submits to the credit reporting agency a valid copy of a police report, investigative report, or complaint that the consumer has filed with a law enforcement agency about the unlawful use of his or her personal information by another person. Allows the credit reporting agency to charge a fee of not more than $10 to a consumer for each security freeze or temporary lift of a security freeze for a specific party and a fee of not more than $8 for removal of a security freeze or temporary lift of a security freeze for a period of time. Provides that the consumer credit reporting agency shall send a written confirmation of the security freeze to the consumer within 5 (instead of 10) business days of placing the freeze on the account. Requires the Director of the Division of Financial Institutions in the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to promulgate rules necessary to allow the use of electronic media to receive and process a request from a consumer to temporarily lift a security freeze as quickly as possible, with the goal of processing a request within 15 minutes of that request. Defines "consumer", "consumer credit reporting agency", "credit report", "Director", and "security freeze". Changes references from "credit reporting agency" to "consumer credit reporting agency". Effective January 1, 2007.
Creates the Illinois State Diabetes Commission Act. Establishes the Illinois State Diabetes Commission. Sets forth term lengths of members and provides that members shall be reimbursed only for reasonable and necessary expenses. Requires the Department of Public Health to provide administrative support for the Commission. Sets forth duties of the Commission. Permits the Department to accept on behalf of the Commission any federal funds or gifts and donations from individuals, private organizations, and foundations. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2010. Effective November 1, 2006.
Mourns the death of Katherine Flowers Shepherd.
Recognizes and commends the Reverend Doctors Claude and Addie Wyatt for their spiritual contributions, dedication, guidance, and spreading God's word to the community, and for their tireless devotion to equality and justice for all.
Proclaims May 24, 2006, as "We Remember, We Care for Indigent Persons Day in Illinois".
Congratulates the Simeon High School Wolverines boys basketball team on winning the IHSA Class AA State Championship Tournament.
Congratulates the Reverend Lee Grant Cook, Pastor of True Believers Missionary Baptist Church, on the occasion of his 40-year anniversary and retirement.
Urges the Governor to make signs available for posting in pharmacies giving statewide and local telephone numbers that a pharmacist or senior citizen may call for assistance in ascertaining or confirming a senior citizen's prescription drug coverage and in getting their prescriptions filled.