Rep. Cynthia Soto

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. In a Section concerning a credit for wages paid to ex-felons, removes a provision providing that the credit may not exceed $600 for each qualified ex-offender. Provides that the credit is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset. Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that each Agreement entered into on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall contain a provision stating that the Applicant shall establish a goal of hiring qualified ex-offenders so that no less than 10% of the jobs created or retained under the Agreement are filled by qualified ex-offenders. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Beginning January 1, 2014, extends benefits under the State's medical assistance program to persons aged 19 or older, but younger than 65, who are not otherwise eligible for medical assistance under the Code, who qualify for medical assistance under specified provisions of the Social Security Act, and who have income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level plus 5% for the applicable family size. Provides that the 4-year moratorium on the expansion of medical assistance eligibility through increasing financial eligibility standards shall not apply to this new class of persons. Provides that such persons shall receive coverage for the Health Benefits Service Package. Defines "Health Benefits Service Package". Provides that if Illinois' federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) is reduced below 90% for persons eligible for medical assistance under the specified provisions, medical assistance eligibility for this new class of persons shall cease no later than the end of the third month following the month in which the reduction in FMAP takes effect. Effective immediately.

Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Provides that a business owned and controlled by females shall be certified as a "Female owned business". Further provides that a business owned and controlled by females who are also minorities shall be certified as both a "Female owned business" and a "Minority owned business". Effective immediately.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt rules to maintain data on child care facilities without Internet access and shall ensure the child care facilities without Internet access register for available mailing lists of pertinent recalls distributed in paper form. Removes the requirement that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services must make the comprehensive list of unsafe children's products available to those facilities that do not have Internet access. Effective immediately.

Creates the General Assembly's Advisory Committee on Education Funding to conduct a thorough review of the existing distribution methods and expenditures of education funding and make recommendations to implement an education funding system.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning issuance of a tax bill.

Amends the Illinois Housing Development Act to authorize the Illinois Housing Authority to establish and administer a foreclosure prevention counseling program using moneys in the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Fund, appropriated for that purpose, to make grants to HUD-certified housing counseling agencies to support pre-purchase and post-purchase home ownership education and foreclosure prevention counseling. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Fund. Provides that 75% of the moneys in this Fund shall be used for housing counseling outside Chicago and 25% of the moneys shall be used for such counseling in Chicago. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning persons that are not to be granted a license or permit.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Makes a technical change in the Section concerning conditions of parole and mandatory supervised release.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that in the event hospitals are deemed not to have reached the $40,000,000 in reduced expenditures as set forth under the Code, then for any individual hospital not meeting its established threshold, the Department of Public Health shall assess a penalty payment equal to one-half the amount of the differential between the hospital's actual liability related to readmissions and that of the threshold amount. Provides that these penalty payments shall be deposited into the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund and that in the event the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finds that the penalty payments are an impermissible healthcare-related tax, the penalty payments shall be doubled. Further provides that the expenditures are to be defined as General Revenue Fund-based expenditures. Effective immediately.