Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the sexual exploitation of children.
Amends the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act. Increases the lifetime benefit limitation from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Under the Medicaid program, authorizes the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide for the services of persons licensed as a clinical social worker in supplying medical assistance. Prohibits the Department's rules from requiring that services for a specific Medicaid recipient provided by a licensed clinical social worker be recommended by a physician. Effective immediately.
Creates the School Health Center Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to initiate 20 new school health centers over a 5-year period beginning July 1, 2007, and build capacity with existing school health centers in the State. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning prohibited transactions.
Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services is authorized to institute an outreach program directed at low-income minority heads of households and heads of households age 60 or older. Provides that the program shall be consistent with the purposes and objectives of the Act and with all other specific requirements set forth in these provisions. Provides that as part of the program, the Department shall permit Case Coordination Units, under contract with the Department on Aging, to prepare and submit applications for energy assistance in the names of their clients in accordance with procedures established by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Provides that the Department shall establish a web-based application for use by applicants for energy assistance, their families, or someone acting on their behalf. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that before a court or the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' Child and Spouse Support Unit enters an order for support, the court or Unit must determine whether another order has been entered requiring the responsible relative to contribute to the support of the person requiring support. Provides that if the court or the Child and Spouse Support Unit determines that another such order has been entered, the court or Unit must ensure that its order does not require the responsible relative to make any payment of support that duplicates a payment required under the other order. Effective immediately.
Creates the Teacher Homebuyer Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority to establish and administer a program to provide down payment assistance to public school teachers who teach in hard-to-staff schools or hard-to-staff positions for purchasing residences within the school district. Provides that the assistance shall be in the form of a deferred payment, low-interest subordinate mortgage loan with a term not longer than the term of the first mortgage loan, with interest accruing at a rate of up to 5% per annum. Provides that if the borrower has continuously been a teacher for the 5-year period immediately following the date of recordation of the loan deed of trust, then repayment of the loan shall be forgiven and considered a grant. Provides that repayment of the principal and accrued interest is due and payable upon the occurrence of certain events. Effective immediately.
Amends the Collection Agency Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions and entities acting as a collection agency. Sets forth requirements for debt collectors or collection agencies regarding communication with persons other than the debtor, communication conducted in connection with debt collection, validation of debts, and debt collection as a result of identity theft. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to provide that a violation of certain Sections of the Collection Agency Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Act. Effective January 1, 2008.
Amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act. Provides that there shall be no more than 10 birth center alternative health care models in the demonstration program authorized under the Act. Sets forth requirements for the location of the centers and for services and standards of the centers. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules for the operation and research protocols of birth centers. Makes other changes.
