Rep. Mary Flowers

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning notices of cancellation.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department may develop and provide to the public and health care patients information regarding the categories or types of health care services available and their appropriate use. Amends the Emergency Medical Treatment Act. Provides that no person, facility, or entity shall hold itself out to the public as an "urgent", "urgi-", "emergi-", or "emergent" care center or use any other term that would give the impression that emergency medical treatment is provided by the person or entity or at the facility unless the facility is the emergency room of a facility licensed as a hospital or a facility licensed as a freestanding emergency center. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Requires health care plans to provide their enrollees with clear information about their rights and responsibilities in obtaining referrals to and making appropriate use of health care facilities when access to their primary care physician is not readily available. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Removes language that terminates the earned income tax credit with taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2002. Exempts the credit from the sunset requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to provide that if a policy provides coverage for prescription drugs, it may not restrict coverage for prescription inhalants based upon refill limitations if the treating physician prescribes the inhalants in a manner contrary to the insurer's refill limitations. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Allows a school board to establish, maintain, and operate a summer kindergarten program that begins 2 months before the beginning of the regular school year and a summer kindergarten program for grade one readiness for those pupils making unsatisfactory progress during the regular kindergarten session that will continue for 2 months after the regular school year. Provides that the summer kindergarten program may be held within the school district or, pursuant to a contract that must be approved by the State Board of Education, may be operated by 2 or more adjacent school districts or by a public or private university or college. Effective immediately.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Makes changes in provisions allowing the Department to issue a Freestanding Emergency Center license to a facility based on location. Deletes provisions making the Freestanding Emergency Center license part of a demonstration program.

Creates the Illinois Early Learning Council Act. Establishes the Illinois Early Learning Council to coordinate existing State programs and services for children from birth to 5 years of age in order to better meet the early learning needs of children and their families. Provides for the appointment of members to the Council who represent both public and private organizations and who shall serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a public utility may not disconnect for nonpayment service during the period from December 1 through March 31 to a residential customer who is eligible for assistance under the Energy Assistance Act of 1989. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on Aging. Changes the name of the sub-State long term care ombudsman program to the "regional long term care ombudsman program". Provides that the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman rather than the Department on Aging designates and oversees regional long term care ombudsman programs. Includes supportive living facilities within the duties of the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois; also amends the Illinois Police Training Act, the State Mandates Act, and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Department of State Police to provide training to State Police officers concerning sensitivity toward racial and ethnic differences. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to provide for similar training for probationary police officers. Provides for a 4-year traffic stop statistical study based on information that must be recorded on the face of a uniform traffic citation, warning citation, or uniform stop card by State and local law enforcement officers. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act. Effective immediately.