Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning school district financial oversight panels.
Creates the Comprehensive Housing, Health, and Supportive Services for Older Adults Act and amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act, the State Finance Act, and the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Director of Public Health, in coordination with the Director of Aging and the Director of Public Aid, to monitor and analyze the distribution of housing and services for older adults in the different geographic areas of the State and implement corrective action plans by July 1, 2005. Provides for a program for conversion of nursing homes to assisted living or shared housing establishments; makes such conversions exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act, and provides for transition planning grants to nursing homes making such conversions. Creates special funds in the State treasury for use in implementing the Comprehensive Housing, Health, and Supportive Services for Older Adults Act. Provides for transfers from the Long Term Care Monitor/Receiver Fund to the new Nursing Home Conversion Fund and the new Nursing Home Transition Planning Grant Fund. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Creates the Mercury Reduction Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency may participate in the establishment and implementation of a multi-state clearinghouse to assist in carrying out the purpose of mercury reduction. Provides that beginning July 1, 2005, no mercury-added product may be offered for final sale or use or distributed for promotional purposes in the State without prior written notification to the Environmental Protection Agency by the manufacturer of the product. Sets forth the requirements for this notification. Sets forth restrictions on the purchase or sale of certain mercury-added products. Provides that beginning July 1, 2006, no person may crush, shred, flatten, or otherwise process a motor vehicle for scrap metal without first making a good faith effort to remove any mercury light switches and mercury headlights. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2006, the Pollution Control Board must modify its rules governing universal hazardous waste as appropriate to promote the recycling, recovery, and proper management of elemental mercury and mercury-added products on a statewide basis. Sets forth penalties for violations of the Act. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Adds "vehicle recycler" to the list of persons who may not knowingly shred, scrap, dismantle, recycle, incinerate, handle, store, or otherwise manage any white good that contains any white components. Provides that no owner, operator, agent, employee of a junkyard or scrap dealership, or vehicle recycler may knowingly shred, scrap, dismantle, recycle, incinerate, handle, store, or otherwise manage any end-of-life motor vehicle that contains any mercury-added component. Defines "vehicle recycler", "end-of-life motor vehicle", and "mercury-added component". Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act. Requires that, in an emergency order of protection and an interim or plenary order of protection, specified language be stated.
Creates the Right to Breastfeed Act. Contains only a short title provision.
Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Provides for grandparent, great-grandparent, and sibling visitation. Establishes who may file a petition for visitation. Creates a rebuttable presumption that a fit parent's actions and decisions regarding grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling visitation are not harmful to the child's mental, physical, or emotional health. Provides that a higher standard of proof shall be required to rebut the presumption concerning a fit parent's actions and decisions if both of the parents of the child agree that the grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling should not be granted visitation rights. Provides that the grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling of a parent whose parental rights have been terminated through an adoption proceeding may not petition for visitation rights. Lists factors that may be considered in determining whether to grant visitation.
Amends the Nursing Education Scholarship Law. Authorizes scholarships for registered nurses pursuing graduate degrees in nursing and to students in areas identified as designated shortage areas. Provides that 20% of scholarships shall be for recipients pursuing graduate degrees and reduces percentages for other recipients. Removes provisions concerning scholarships for pursuing a hospital-based diploma in nursing.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that if the recipient of an Illinois National Guard Grant ceases to be a member of the Illinois National Guard while enrolled in a course of study under that grant but (i) has served in the Illinois National Guard for at least 5 years and (ii) has served a cumulative total of at least 6 months of active duty, then that recipient shall continue to be eligible for a grant for one year after membership in the Illinois National Guard ended, provided that the recipient has not already received the exemption from tuition and fees for the equivalent of 4 years of full-time enrollment. Effective immediately.
Amends the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Provides for relinquishment of a newborn infant to a police station (in addition to a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical facility). Provides that "police station" means a municipal police station or a county sheriff's office. Provides that a police station to which a newborn infant is relinquished must arrange for the transportation of the infant to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that any county (now, only a county with a population of over 100,000 and less than 1,000,000) may establish a neutral site custody exchange fund by the passage of an ordinance by the county board. Effective immediately.
