Rep. Esther Golar

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that no county or municipality may prohibit a charitable organization from soliciting for charitable purposes, including solicitations taking place on public roadways from passing motorists, if certain requirements are met. Sets forth requirements regarding the groups involved, applications and liability insurance. Defines "local agency" to mean a municipality, county, special district, fire district, joint powers of authority, or other political subdivision of the State of Illinois. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Encourages faith-based organizations to develop and implement universal interventions aimed to prevent violence in Illinois' impoverished, underserved, and at-risk communities by providing employment opportunities, media, and educational campaigns, after school programs, mentoring programs, and other activities that replace negative messages, activities, beliefs, and attitudes with positive and productive activities, beliefs, and messages, through a transparent and collaborative process with the community that takes full advantage of State and federal funding resources.

Recognizes the importance of the services provided by not-for-profit social service organizations in the State. Urges the Comptroller to prioritize the payment of obligations owed to those organizations.

Amends the Long Term Acute Care Hospital Quality Improvement Transfer Program Act to include in the definition of "LTAC hospital" a hospital that begins operations after January 1, 2009 (instead of 2010) and is designated by Medicare as a long term acute care hospital. Effective immediately.

Amends the Statute on Statutes. Makes a technical change in a Section regarding the application of the Act.

Amends the Chicago Teachers Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Changes the method for calculating validated service. Limits the amount of pension credit that may be granted each year. Authorizes deductions for omissions made in prior pay periods. Requires deductions to be made whenever salary represents pay for a day or part of a day (rather than pay for 5 days). Makes other changes concerning the administration of payroll deductions. Requires employers to cause the Fund to receive all payroll records and pension contributions (rather than just pension contributions) within 30 calendar (rather than 15 business) days after each predesignated payday. Makes other changes concerning the payment and certification of salary deductions. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective July 1, 2011.

Amends the Newborn Metabolic Screening Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall provide newborns with expanded screening tests for the presence of Mucopolysaccharidosis I (Hurler disease), Mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunters disease), and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome (SCIDS). Provides that if the Department is unable to provide expanded screening for SCIDS using the State Laboratory within 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, then the Department shall temporarily provide the screening through an accredited laboratory selected by the Department until the Department has the capacity to provide screening through the State Laboratory. Permits the Department to substitute the fee charged by the accredited laboratory, plus a 5% surcharge for documentation and handling for the fee authorized if expanded screening is provided on a temporary basis through an accredited laboratory. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning domestic battery.

Amends the Counties Code. Requires the county board chairman in every county with a population of less than 3,000,000 to appoint, no later than December 31, 2011, a volunteer 7 member mental health advisory committee composed of members of the general public, if the county has established a county health department, but no mental health program has been approved as provided under the Act. Amends the Community Mental Health Act. Requires the county board chairman in every county with a population of less than 3,000,000, or the township supervisor of a township located in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, to appoint, no later than December 31, 2011, a volunteer 7 member mental health advisory committee composed of members of the general public, if no community mental health board has been established in the county or township as provided under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a co-payment scale that provides for cost sharing by families that receive child care services, including parents whose only income is from assistance under the Code (rather than the Department shall require co-payments for child care services by any parent, including parents whose only income is from assistance under the Code). Provides that the co-payment shall be based on family income and family size and may be based on other factors as appropriate (rather than based on family income, family size, and the number of children in care). Provides that co-payments may be waived for families whose incomes are at or below the federal poverty level (rather than co-payments shall not be increased due solely to a change in the methodology for counting family income). Effective immediately.