Rep. Natalie Manley

Amends the Mercury-Free Vaccine Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the State Salary and Annuity Withholding Act. Provides that an employee or annuitant may authorize the withholding of a portion of his salary, wages, or annuity, among other purposes, for investment purchases made as a participant in College Savings Programs established under the federal Internal Revenue Code. Amends the State Comptroller Act. Provides that no request for an amount to be deducted from pension annuity payments made under the Illinois Pension Code shall exceed 25% of the net amount of such payment. Provides that notice given by the Comptroller to a person upon a deduction for delinquent obligations owed to a specified government entity may inform the person that, in lieu of protest, he or she may provide written authority to the Comptroller to process the deduction immediately. Amends the Comptroller Merit Employment Code. Provides for a veteran's preference of 3 points if the person has served in the armed forces of the United States, the Illinois National Guard, or any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, and the person, among other qualifying factors, has served a minimum of 4 years in the Illinois National Guard or reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, regardless of whether or not the person was mobilized to active duty. Amends the Illinois State Collection Act of 1986. Provides that upon processing a deduction to satisfy a debt owed to a university or a State agency, the Comptroller may provide notice informing a person that, in lieu of protest, he or she may provide written authority to the Comptroller to process the deduction immediately. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires long-term care providers to submit all changes in resident status, including, but not limited to, death, discharge, changes in patient credit, third party liability, and Medicare coverage to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services through the Medical Electronic Data Interchange System, the Recipient Eligibility Verification System, or the Electronic Data Interchange System under a specified schedule. Requires the Department and other agencies to establish an expedited long-term care eligibility determination and enrollment system. Requires the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, in coordination with the Secretary of Human Services and the Director of Aging, to hold meetings for provider associations representing facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act and certified as supportive living programs. Provides that the meetings shall be held every 6 weeks until all backlogged cases have been adjudicated and the application process has been reduced to the federal timeframe. Contains provisions concerning a 45-day extension of the federal eligibility application processing deadline in suspected cases of fraud; the identification of applicants who had full Medicaid benefits in the community for 6 months or more immediately before entering the long-term care facility; reporting requirements; public-private partnerships aimed at redeploying caseworkers to targeted high-Medicaid facilities for the purpose of expediting initial Medicaid and long-term care benefits applications; the establishment of a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant database; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Wind Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Provides that the Act may be cited as the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Changes references in the Act from "commercial wind energy facility" to "commercial renewable energy facility". Provides that "commercial renewable energy facility" means a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility. Defines "commercial solar energy facility". Provides that for commercial renewable energy facility owners of a commercial solar energy facility, the agricultural impact mitigation agreement shall be entered into prior to the commercial renewable energy facility owner making contact with a landowner seeking an underlying agreement for the development of a commercial solar energy facility. Makes conforming changes in the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Effective immediately.

Provides for the ratification of the proposed equal rights amendment to the United States Constitution.

Amends the Limited Liability Company Act. Reduces the fee collected by the Secretary of State for the filing of articles of organization, applications for admission, and restated articles of organization from $500 to $39 and reduces those fees in connection with a limited liability company with ability to establish series from $750 to $59. Effective immediately.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Collective Bargaining Freedom Act. Provides that it is the policy of the State that employers, employees, and their labor organizations are free to bargain collectively. Provides that the authority to enact laws or rules that restrict the use of union security agreements between an employer and a labor organization vests exclusively with the General Assembly. Prohibits local governments from enforcing any such law or rule. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Water Company Invested Capital Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.