Rep. Elaine Nekritz

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act. Subject to appropriation, requires the Department of Public Health to develop a comprehensive statewide asthma management plan to (i) reduce the rate of hospitalizations due to asthma and (ii) facilitate the effective management of asthma in persons with asthma. Requires the Department to implement programs to meet the objectives of the statewide asthma management plan. Provides for the use of moneys from the Tobacco Settlement Recovery Fund to implement the statewide asthma management plan.

Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practice Act. Prohibits a person whose prior notary commission was suspended, canceled, or revoked from receiving another commission (now, a 10-year prohibition). Exempts notaries who are accredited immigration representatives (now, only attorneys) from the requirement that non-English advertisements of service include a notice that the notary is not an attorney. Applies the notice requirement to other identifying articles, such as letterhead and business cards. Prohibits the literal translation of various English terms that may imply the notary is an attorney. Prohibits a notary from accepting fees for immigration advice or assistance. Makes violations subject to fines, business offense penalties, and commission revocation. Makes other changes. Under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, imposes similar restrictions, requirements, and penalties on persons providing immigration services. Permits recovery of prohibited fees through compensatory damages and permits punitive damages of 3 times the amount of the fees. 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 Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination within the Department of Public Health. Requires the task force to examine the prevalence and burden of cervical cancer, raise public awareness concerning the causes and nature of cervical cancer, identify prevention and control strategies and technologies, and perform other functions. Requires the task force to develop a statewide comprehensive cervical cancer prevention plan and to make annual reports. Provides for expiration of the task force on April 1, 2009 or upon the task force's submission of its final report, whichever is earlier. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. In the State aid formula provisions, provides that calculation of Available Local Resources shall exclude tax amnesty funds received as a result of Public Act 93-26. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that regional long term care ombudsman programs may use trained volunteers to make routine visits to facilities licensed or certified under the Nursing Home Care Act, the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, and the Social Security Act or to any other facility for which long term care ombudsmen are obligated to visit either by federal or State law. Sets forth requirements for the volunteers. Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Includes a trained-volunteer program operated by a regional long term care ombudsman program within the definition of "health care employer". Effective immediately.

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 Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2006 registration year, a person who has been approved for benefits (rather than a person who has claimed and received a grant) under the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act, or the spouse of one of those persons, shall pay $24, rather than the usual fee, for a vehicle displaying specified registration plates. Makes corresponding changes in provisions regarding Purple Heart and Korean War Veteran plates. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that child support enforcement proceedings, either civil or criminal, by a state's attorney or the Attorney General in a case referred by the Department of Public Aid under the Illinois Public Aid Code are an exception from the requirement that all information received by the Department of Revenue from income tax returns or from any investigation shall be confidential. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Creates a K-3 class size reduction grant program to be implemented and administered by the State Board of Education. Provides that only those schools that are on the early academic warning list or academic watch list and that maintain grades K-3 are grant eligible. Limits use of the grant funds to operating and maintaining classes in grades K-3 with a class size of no more than 20 pupils. Effective immediately.