Rep. Jack McGuire

Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Prohibits a health care employer from hiring, after January 1, 2004, an individual in a position with duties involving direct care of clients, patients, or residents who has (i) been convicted of committing or attempting to commit specified offenses in the Criminal Code of 1961, the Illinois Credit Card and Debit Card Act, or the Wrongs to Children Act or (ii) has violated a specified provision of the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act. Makes changes to the duties of the Health Care Worker Task Force and who shall serve on the Task Force. Effective immediately.

Amends the Build Illinois Bond Act to decrease the authorization for bonds by $1. Effective July 1, 2003.

Names February 6 "Ronald Reagan Day".

Creates the Community Scholarship Matching Grants Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish and administer a program that awards grants to community scholarship organizations. Provides that the amount of the grant per year for each organization that applies and qualifies shall equal the amount that the organization has awarded in scholarship funds that year, not to exceed $2,000.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Requires that a person convicted of an offense that results in injury to a victim shall be ordered to pay for the medical or dental costs incurred by the victim in seeking treatment for those injuries inflicted by the person convicted.

Appropriates $17,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging to provide a $1-per-hour wage increase for Community Care Program homemakers. Effective July 1, 2003.

Amends the senior citizens homestead exemption Section of the Property Tax Code to provide that, for taxable years 2003 and thereafter, disabled persons are eligible for the exemption as well. Defines "disabled person" to have the same meaning as in the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Amends the senior citizens homestead exemption provisions of the Property Tax Code and the State Mandates Act to restate that implementation is required without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act. Provides that units of local government may regulate smoking in public places; provides that this regulation must be no less restrictive than the regulation in the Act. Changes the home rule limitation from an absolute preemption (with an exception for units having pre-existing ordinances) to a limitation on the concurrent exercise of home rule power. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Requires that a person committed to a Department of Corrections' facility to pay the total cost of medical and dental services (rather than just a $2 co-payment). Provides that victims insurance companies shall be reimbursed by the person committed to the Department.