Rep. Patricia R. Bellock

Mourns the death of Army Sgt. Jacob Henry Demand of Palouse, Washington, in Iraq on September 14, 2004.

Congratulates the Chicago White Sox for their accomplishments during the 2005 season and their ALCS win.

Amends the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act. Allows the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Board to establish conditions and procedures under which the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan may discount or subsidize premiums for unemployed or retired coal miners who are federally eligible and whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004, and to accept funds appropriated for this purpose. Allows unemployed or retired coal miners who are federally eligible and whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004 to be eligible for the Plan even though their premiums may be discounted or subsidized. Requires federally eligible unemployed or retired coal miners whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004 to pay the discounted or subsidized premiums established by the Board. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act. Creates the Autism Research Fund and provides that, from appropriations from the Fund, the Department of Public Health must make grants to public or private entities in Illinois for the purpose of funding research concerning the disorder of autism. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to create a tax checkoff for the Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Human Services 211 Collaboration Board Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Home Care Consumer and Worker Protection Act. If an agency places a home care worker with a consumer to provide home care services, requires the agency to give the worker and the consumer a notice setting forth the rights and responsibilities of each of them as well as appropriate phone numbers and addresses of the Department on Aging. Provides that the Act does not apply to nursing homes, home health agencies, and certain other agencies. Provides that an agency subject to the Act must comply with the Health Care Worker Background Check Act and must ensure that every home care worker placed by the agency for hire by a consumer has the appropriate credentials and is appropriately licensed or certified as required by law. Authorizes the Department on Aging to investigate complaints of violations of the Act, issue cease-and-desist orders, and seek injunctive relief. Provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 per day for each day that a violation continues. Effective January 1, 2006.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Provides that a guardian ad litem appointed in a child custody proceeding shall have completed 3 hours of training that relates to the functions and duties of a guardian ad litem and that includes training on the dynamics of domestic violence on partners and children. Requires a guardian ad litem in a child custody proceeding to investigate whether there is evidence that either partner engaged in domestic violence and to report to the court on the results of the investigation. Creates a rebuttable presumption that it is not in the best interest of the child for the court to grant sole or joint custody or visitation to a parent who: (i) has been adjudicated guilty of domestic violence as defined in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 on multiple incidents of domestic violence or of a single incident of domestic violence that resulted in serious physical injury, as determined by the trier of fact, against the parent's partner or against the child; or (ii) has been convicted of violating an order of protection entered under the specified Sections of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Lists evidence that may be used to rebut the presumption. Provides that, in cases where the presumption is rebutted, the court shall state the evidence upon which the court determined that the presumption was rebutted and its findings relating to the reason that legal custody with that party is in the best interest of the child. Provides that, if there is a danger to the health or safety of a partner, joint mediation for custody shall not be required by the court. Requires that professional personnel, evaluators, and investigators, who advise the court concerning child interview or child custody, must have 3 hours of training in domestic violence and its effects on the partner and the child. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Older Adult Services Act. Provides that no later than January 1, 2006 and every January 1 thereafter, the Department on Aging and the Illinois Housing Development Authority shall file with the Governor and the General Assembly a plan that establishes goals for the number of affordable housing units to be made available to the frail elderly in the next fiscal year. Requires that the plan: (i) detail the number of new units of housing to be created, the number of units made accessible through rehabilitation and renovation, and the number of new supportive living units to be created and certified; and (ii) include recommendations for statutory or policy changes needed to reduce barriers to the establishment of affordable housing units for the frail elderly. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code and the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code. Provides that in addition to fingerprint-based criminal history records checks, the Department of State Police, at the request of a school board or regional superintendent, shall conduct sex offender registration data checks and orders of protection records checks on applicants for employment with a school district, and requires applicants to have these checks performed. Amends the Sex Offender and Child Murderer Community Notification Law to provide for the sex offender registration data check, which shall include the release of the name, address, date of birth, and offense or adjudication of a sex offender required to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act to the president of a school board or a regional superintendent. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Adds prisons operated by the Department of Corrections and mental health facilities operated by a county to the list of entities that may disclose a recipient's record or communications, without consent, to another entity on the list for the purpose of admission, treatment, planning, or discharge. Provides that no records or communications may be disclosed to a State prison unless the Department has entered into a written agreement with the State prison to ensure that the records and communications disclosed are disclosed only to the proper persons. Effective immediately.