Rep. Sandy Cole

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. With respect to an executive branch State employee who is the subject of an Executive Inspector General's investigation and whose agency head or ultimate jurisdictional authority agrees with the Inspector General as to disciplinary action against the employee, establishes procedures for providing a redacted version of the Inspector General's summary investigation report to the Executive Ethics Commission, to the employee, and to the public, under certain circumstances.

Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Provides that a person may not under any circumstances charge a fee to a claimant for assistance in completing an application form for a property tax relief grant or pharmaceutical assistance under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Flag Display Act. Requires that the U.S. national and Illinois State flags be displayed at half-staff when an Illinois firefighter is killed in the line of duty. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that specified persons who have not yet submitted a sample of blood, saliva, or tissue shall be required to submit a specimen of blood, saliva, or tissue prior to their final discharge or within 6 months from the effective date of the amendatory Act, whichever is sooner. Provides that "these specimens shall be placed into the State or national DNA database, to be used in accordance with other provisions of this Act, by the Illinois State Police". Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act, the University of Illinois Hospital Act, the Nursing Home Care Act, and the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital or nursing home shall adopt a policy to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control risk of injury to residents or patients and nurses and other health care workers associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a resident or patient. Sets forth matters that must be included in the policy, including: (1) analysis of the risk of injury to residents or patients and nurses and other health care workers posted by the resident or patient handling needs of the resident or patient populations served by the facility and the physical environment in which the resident or patient handling and movement occurs; (2) education of nurses in the identification, assessment, and control of risks of injury to residents or patients and nurses and other health care workers during resident or patient handling; and (3) evaluation of alternative ways to reduce risks associated with resident or patient handling, including evaluation of equipment and the environment. Requires that Department of Human Services-operated State mental health centers and developmental centers and the University of Illinois Hospital comply with these provisions. Effective January 1, 2010.

Amends the School Code and the Counties Code. Provides that it is a State's Attorney's duty to notify the State Superintendent of Education and others upon the conviction of any individual known to possess a certificate issued under the School Code of any of certain offenses or any other felony conviction. In the criminal history records check provisions of the School Code, makes changes concerning the offenses for which a school board may not knowingly employ a person. Provides that no one may be certified to teach or supervise in the public schools who has been convicted of certain offenses (instead of providing that in determining good character, any felony conviction of an applicant may be taken into consideration, but such a conviction shall not operate as a bar to registration). In provisions concerning suspension or revocation of a certificate, provides that the State Superintendent of Education has the exclusive authority to initiate the suspension of up to 5 calendar years or revocation of any certificate (instead of providing that a certificate may be suspended for a period not to exceed one calendar year by the regional superintendent of schools or for a period not to exceed 5 calendar years by the State Superintendent). With respect to certificate suspension and revocation, makes changes concerning an investigation, notice, a hearing, an appeal, and the offenses that are grounds for suspension and revocation. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and the Illinois Income Tax Act. Authorizes the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish systems and programs to encourage employers to match employee contributions to prepaid programs of college savings by making donations to the Commission for prepaid programs of college savings and its programs of grants and loans to make higher education affordable for all residents of the State and to receive, hold, and disburse all such funds made available through those programs for the purposes for which they are authorized by rule or by law. Creates an income tax credit for employers who, during the taxable year, make a matching donation on behalf of an employee. Provides that the credit is 25% of the matching donation, but not to exceed $500 per employee. Provides that the credit may be carried forward for 3 taxable years. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that no health care institution, or any employee, staff person, contractor, or other person under the direction or supervision of a health care institution, may discharge, dispose of, flush, pour, or empty any unused medication into a public wastewater collection system or a septic system. Defines "health care institution" and "public wastewater collection system". Makes a violation a petty offense subject to a $500 fine.

Amends the Department of State Police Law and the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the Illinois Police Training Act, and the Missing Persons Identification Act. With respect to the State Police's missing endangered senior alert system: (i) refers to the alerts as "Silver" Alerts; (ii) requires that the Department coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in the public dissemination of the alerts and the promotion of the system; and (iii) requires that local law enforcement agencies provide for prompt use of Silver Alerts and public dissemination of photographs of missing endangered seniors. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Farm Fresh Schools Program Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health, shall create the Farm Fresh Schools Program. Provides that the intent of the Program is to reduce obesity and improve nutrition and public health, as well as strengthen local agricultural economies by increasing access to and promoting the consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables in schools and increasing physical activities and programs that promote pupil wellness. Provides that the Department of Agriculture and the State Board of Education shall jointly administer a process to review grant proposals and award grants on a competitive basis to eligible applicants to implement the Program. Creates the Farm Fresh Schools Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.