Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond

Applauds Richard K. Studebaker for his service to Benton Township.

Amends the Ticket Scalping Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning service charges.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning a school building code.

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 Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to encourage owners of land to make land and water areas available to any individual or, on state-owned or managed lands and waters, members of the public (rather than to the public) for recreational or conservation purposes by limiting their liability toward persons entering thereon for such purposes. Provides that residential buildings are not included in the definition of "land". Changes the definition of "recreational or conservation purpose" to include hunting, hiking, recreational shooting, operation of an off-highway vehicle, rock climbing, trapping, horseback riding of an entrant's own horse or horses, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, water or snow skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling. Effective immediately.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Long Term Care Facility Residents Reporting 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 Insurance Code. Changes the name of business organizations licensed to sell insurance from registered firm to business entity to conform usage to changes made by Public Act 92-386. Provides that written disclosure of a fee that is separate from a commission must be provided to the consumer before the service to which the fee relates is performed. Makes technical changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides for a jury of 6 in all jury cases where the claim for damages is $50,000 or less (instead of cases where the claim does not exceed $15,000) unless either party demands a jury of 12.

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.