Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires an incumbent local exchange carrier to structurally separate its retail operations from its wholesale operations in accordance with the requirements of the Commerce Commission. Provides that an incumbent local exchange carrier is the telecommunications carrier that on the effective date of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 provided local exchange services to a majority of the access lines in Illinois. Regulates transactions between retail affiliates and wholesale affiliates. Requires the Commission to begin proceedings to implement structural separation by August 1, 2004 and to conclude the proceedings by February 1, 2005. Requires the Commission to report to the General Assembly by January 14, 2005 on the status of structural separation. Requires telecommunications carriers that provide both competitive and noncompetitive services to make detailed network infrastructure reports to the Commerce Commission each month. Requires the Commission to perform an annual network infrastructure audit on all carriers required to file network infrastructure reports. Provides for the Commission to report its findings regarding network infrastructure to the General Assembly by January 15 of each year. Provides that incumbent local exchange carriers may not declare any dividend or distribution if the carrier is in violation of a Commission order or is subject to a Commission finding of failure to meet structural separation obligations. Effective July 1, 2004.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning the short title.
Creates the Hypnosis Consumer Protection Act. Provides that a person who is not otherwise licensed to provide some form of health care and who provides hypnotism services shall not be in violation of the health care profession practice Acts and shall be deemed to engage in the nontherapeutic practice of hypnotism, unless that person engages in specified activities. Provides that an unlicensed person providing hypnotism services shall, prior to providing those services, (i) disclose specified information in a plainly-worded written statement and (ii) obtain a written acknowledgement from the client stating that he or she has been provided with the written statement. Provides that an unlicensed person providing hypnotism services shall state in any advertisement that he or she is not an Illinois licensed health care practitioner. Provides for a civil penalty to be collected by the Department of Professional Regulation.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Public Aid may not establish any formulary limits on, or restrict by any prior authorization requirement, any insulin prescription drug as prescribed and determined to be medically necessary for the treatment of diabetes. Effective July 1, 2004.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility offering unregulated sales of natural gas to an end-use customer within or outside its service area shall be subject to specified provisions of the Act with respect to such sales. Provides that a gas utility offering unregulated sales of natural gas to an end-use customer within or outside its service area shall not subsidize such sales through the utility's regulated business. Provides that a gas utility offering unregulated sales of natural gas to an end-use customer within or outside its service area shall not discriminate in the provision of regulated gas service based upon the existence or terms of an unregulated sale of natural gas. Provides that the Commission may require a gas utility to file reports regarding its unregulated sales of natural gas in the State and shall have access to, for the purpose of review, a gas utility's contracts for unregulated sales of natural gas. Effective immediately.
Creates the Public Service Accountability Act. Sets out the requirements for privatization contracts between contractors and State agencies. Provides for the monitoring and enforcement of privatization contracts. Establishes fines and prison sentences for a violation of certain Sections of the Act. Effective immediately.
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 Volunteer Firefighter Job Protection Act. Provides that no public or private employer may terminate an employee who is a volunteer firefighter because the employee, when acting as a volunteer firefighter, is absent from or late to his or her employment in order to respond to an emergency prior to the time the employee is to report to his or her place of employment. Provides that an employee who is terminated in violation of the Act may bring a civil action against his or her employer for reinstatement to the employee's former position, payment of back wages, reinstatement of fringe benefits, and reinstatement of seniority rights. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Effective immediately.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Makes a technical change in a Section requiring the Department of Corrections to designate those institutions and facilities that are maintained for persons assigned as adults and as juveniles.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Cancer Trial Discrimination Prohibition Law. Contains only a short title provision. Effective immediately.