Rep. André M. Thapedi

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that provisions of the Act concerning the apportionment of business income of a transportation company apply to (i) income derived by the transportation company from the movement of freight or passengers by air, land, or water, (ii) income derived by the transportation company from the movement of liquid or gaseous substances, and (iii) the provision of services related to those activities. Defines "transportation company". Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utility Act. Exempts a public utility with $300,000 or less of annual operating revenues using the Simplified Rate Case Procedures from the requirement that, when any public utility that provides water or sewer service proposes a general rate increase, the water or sewer public utility must notify its customers of their right to request a public forum. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act and the Illinois Aeronautics Act. Creates the Baggage Fee Sharing Program and the Baggage Fee Sharing Revolving Fund. Provides that the Department of Transportation shall collect a fee equal to 6.25% of all fees charged and collected in this State by persons operating aircraft for hire or reward for simultaneously transporting tangible personal property. Provides for the disposition of the collected fees. Provides limitations and exceptions to the Baggage Fee Sharing Program. Provides that the Department may adopt rules to implement the program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Provides the allowable hourly rates for attorney's fees awarded under both Acts. Provides a calculation to adjust the prices annually starting in calendar year 2013. Effective immediately.

Amends the Smoke Free Illinois Act to include in the list of areas where smoking is allowed, designated segregated ventilated smoking rooms in gaming facilities that are licensed, provided that the segregated smoking room is only accessible to persons who have requested in writing to have access to the smoking room and the smoke from the room shall not infiltrate into any other areas where smoking is prohibited. Imposes conditions on any rulemaking authority.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act and the Video Gaming Act. Prohibits the Illinois Gaming Board from disseminating information relating to video gaming that is specific to individual licensed locations, but allows the dissemination of information that is aggregated based on municipality or county. Effective immediately.

Amends the Health Care Services Lien Act. Provides that the total of all liens under the Act, including insurer reimbursement claims, (instead of all liens under the Act) shall not exceed 40% of a verdict, judgment, or settlement. Provides that a petition by an injured person or a health care provider to adjudicate the rights including liens of all interested parties may be served on interested parties by personal service, substitute service, or registered or certified mail. Provides that the Act applies to all insurers and their reimbursement claims and rights. Provides that if a patient provides his or her health insurance information to a health care professional or health care provider, the professional or provider is required to submit health care charges to the identified insurer and that the failure to do so voids the professional's or provider's lien and bars any collection action directly against the injured person. Limits the professional's or provider's lien to 66% of the charges that would have been submitted had the charge been presented to the insurer. Makes related changes.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that an owner or operator of a facility shall purchase and maintain not less than $500,000 in liability insurance for each facility. Provides that no person may establish, own, or operate a facility in the State unless and until the person provides proof of liability insurance coverage to the Department of Public Health. Provides that the Department shall issue a license if the applicant and the facilities meet specified requirements. Provides that each application for a license for a facility shall be accompanied by a license fee of $20 for each bed in the facility, with a minimum fee per facility of $200 (instead of an annual fee of $1,990). Provides that an application for a license to operate a facility also shall include affirmative evidence of the ability to comply with the liability insurance requirement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Cemetery Oversight Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Shifts the costs of health insurance coverage for future employees of certain higher education institutions from the State to those higher education institutions. Creates a new health benefit program for those employees, once they become annuitants, and for their dependent beneficiaries. Terminates provisions providing for the ongoing transfer of funds from the General Revenue Fund to the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund and the Community College Health Insurance Security Fund. Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Requires certain employers to provide a tax-sheltered annuity retirement plan to eligible employees. Requires current members and participants to elect whether to maintain their current benefits in the State-funded retirement systems. Prohibits the State-funded retirement systems from accepting new members or participants. Changes the amount of the required State contributions to the State-funded retirement systems and, in the State Universities and Downstate Teacher Articles, shifts the liability for making those contributions to employers. Amends the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act. Terminates continuing appropriations from the General Revenue Fund to the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund and the Community College Health Insurance Security Fund. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.