Rep. Patrick J. Verschoore

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning State policy.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations, children who apply for medical assistance shall be presumed eligible for medical services provided under the State's medical assistance program, including dental services, pending a formal eligibility determination by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Provides that the Department shall adopt any rules necessary to implement this provision.

Amends the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act. Provides that the penalty for failure to pay the tax shown due or required to be shown due on a return shall be 15% (instead of 20%) of any amount that is paid after the date the Department has initiated an audit or investigation of the taxpayer. Provides that the penalty shall be rescinded if the taxpayer paid to the Department at least 95% of the final liability resulting from an audit or investigation prior to the initiation of the audit or investigation

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Office of Retail Market Development shall: have the function and duties of promoting competition in the natural gas market for all classes of customers; work with all segments of the natural gas market to identify barriers to competition; and recommend to the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Governor, and the General Assembly programs or legislation needed to eliminate those barriers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the prevailing wage shall not be less than the rate that prevails for similar work performed under collective bargaining agreements in the locality provided that the agreements cover at least 30% of the workers. Provides that, if bargaining agreements do not exist in the locality, the Department of Labor shall ascertain the prevailing wage to be paid under the Act. Applies to public works performed without a written contract. Requires that the Department publish prevailing wages schedules on its website.

Congratulates Rory L. Washburn on the occasion of being inducted into the East Central Iowa - Northwestern Illinois AFL-CIO Hall of Fame.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation to the State Board of Education, there is created an agriculture education teacher grant program to fund personal services costs for agriculture education teachers in school districts. Provides that a school district may apply for a grant to fund 50% of the personal services cost for an agriculture education teacher; however, a school district that is creating a new agriculture education program may apply for a grant to fund 100% of an agriculture teacher's personal services cost in the first and second year of the new agriculture education program and 80% of an agriculture teacher's personal services cost in the third and fourth years of the new agriculture education program. Allows a school district to apply for a grant for more than one teacher. Sets forth the duties of the State Board. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to teacher shortage scholarships. Specifies that agricultural education is a course of study included in the definition of "areas of identified staff shortages".

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Child Bereavement Leave Act and amends the State Finance Act. Provides that an employee may use specified amounts of bereavement leave to grieve the death of the employee's child, attend services in relation to the death of the employee's child, or make arrangements necessitated by the death of the employee's child. Provides for enforcement by the Department of Labor. Provides for civil penalties. Authorizes the Attorney General to collect penalties. Creates the Child Bereavement Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Amends the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act. When a consistent DNA profile has been identified from submitted sexual assault evidence, the Department of State Police shall notify the investigating law enforcement agency of the match, and the Department shall track and maintain a record of its notification of, and the follow up by, the investigating law enforcement agency. The record maintained by the Department shall also document any written request, from the Department to the investigating law enforcement agency, seeking the submission of an additional DNA standard for a comparison analysis or confirmatory forensic analysis, and whether the investigating law enforcement agency has complied with those requests. If, after 60 days, the investigating law enforcement agency fails to comply with any request for an additional DNA standard, then the Department shall send a second written request to both the investigating law enforcement agency and the county Sheriff of the county where the agency is located. The Department shall maintain a record of the percentage of cases in which an additional DNA standard is submitted by the investigating law enforcement agency for a comparison analysis or confirmatory forensic analysis. Beginning June 1, 2016, each law enforcement agency must conduct an annual inventory of all sexual assault cases in the custody of the law enforcement agency and provide written notice of its annual findings to the Department. The Department shall compile and report the findings of each inventory under the Act. Requires the Department of State Police to file annual and quarterly reports regarding sexual assault evidence submissions. Effective immediately.