Sen. Kwame Raoul

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a tax checkoff for the Lung Cancer Research Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Fund. Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, from appropriations to the Department from the Fund, the Department shall make grants to an Illinois-based national not-for-profit organization that is dedicated exclusively to funding lung-cancer research. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, and other Acts. Provides that on and after July 1, 2008, screening and diagnostic mammography shall be reimbursed under the medical assistance program at the same rate as the Medicare program's rates, including the increased reimbursement for digital mammography. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to take certain actions in relation to breast cancer screening and treatment, including establishment of bonus payments to mammography facilities meeting certain standards, a rate methodology for certain providers, and a performance goal for primary care providers; also requires the Department to establish a case-management or patient-navigation pilot program. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after the effective date of this amendatory Act must provide coverage for all medically necessary pain medication and pain therapy related to the treatment of breast cancer on the same terms and conditions that are generally applicable to coverage for other conditions. Provides that mandatory insurance coverage relating to mammography shall be provided at no cost to the insured and shall not be subject to an annual or lifetime maximum benefit. Makes other changes in relation to mammography coverage, and makes these changes to the Illinois Insurance Code also applicable to the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and other Acts. Sets forth a statement of legislative intent and provides that the bill's provisions may be referred to as the Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections relating to relief from disabilities automatically imposed by law. Provides that the court may grant relief from forfeitures. Defines "eligible offender" for the purposes of relief from disabilities and forfeitures as a person who has been convicted of a crime that does not include an offense or attempted offense that would subject the person to registration under the Sex Offender Registration Act, the Arsonist Registration Act, or the Child Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act (rather than an offense that is not a crime of violence, a Class X or a nonprobationable offense, or a violation of the Sex Offenses or Bodily Harm Articles of the Criminal Code of 1961, but who has not been convicted more than twice of a felony). Provides that "eligible offender" does not include a person who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit first degree murder. Provides that a certificate of good conduct may be granted to relieve an eligible offender of any employment-related disability, or to remove any bar to his or her employment, automatically imposed by law by reason of his or her conviction of the crime or of the offense specified in the certificate. Provides that the certificate may be limited to one or more enumerated disabilities or bars or may relieve the individual of all disabilities and bars. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law, a conviction of a crime or of an offense specified in a certificate of good conduct may not be deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of any provision of law that imposes, by reason of a conviction, a bar to any employment, a disability to exercise any right or a disability to apply for or to receive any license, permit, or other authority or privilege covered by the certificate. Provides that a certificate of good conduct does not relieve an offender of any employment-related disability imposed by law by reason of his or her conviction of a crime that would prevent his or her employment by the Department of Corrections. Effective June 1, 2008.

Creates the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago Continuing Appropriation Act. Provides for appropriations from the Common School Fund to the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago on a continuing monthly basis of the greater of the amount of one-twelfth of $65,044,700 or the amount of the vouchers for required State contributions lawfully submitted by the Retirement Fund for that month under the School Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning property held for the owner by a court or other public officer or entity.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act and the Public Community College Act. Removes a provision that requires the Illinois Community College Board to submit its plan for capital improvements of non-instructional facilities to the Board of Higher Education. Requires the Illinois Community College Board to develop a comprehensive community college plan. Removes a reference to the Board of Higher Education's approval of a public community college's construction of a facility. Makes related changes.

Creates the Judicial Campaign Reform Act and amends the Election Code, the State Finance Act, the Illinois Income Tax Act, and the Clerks of Courts Act. Creates a voluntary program of public financing of election campaigns for the offices of judges of the Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Courts, administered by the State Board of Elections. Establishes funding mechanisms and provides penalties for violations. Sets mandatory contribution limits with respect to all judicial election campaigns. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2009.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that if a person who is incarcerated in a jail or correctional facility in Illinois or receiving treatment at a hospital under the authority of the Department of Corrections was a recipient of medical assistance immediately before his or her incarceration or period of treatment, the recipient shall remain eligible for medical assistance during the period of his or her incarceration or treatment, but the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall not provide medical assistance for any medical care, services, or supplies provided to the recipient during that period. Provides that the Department may, however, provide medical assistance for inpatient hospital services provided to the recipient at a hospital located outside the premises of the jail or correctional facility to the extent that federal financial participation is available for the costs of those services. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Changes the repeal date of provisions creating the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund from December 31, 2007 to December 31, 2013. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act, the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Act. Extends the duration and increases the amounts of deposits of certain use and occupation tax proceeds into the McCormick Place Expansion Project Fund. Increases certain bond authorization limits of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority from $2,107,000,000 to $2,457,000,000 and makes changes to the required maturity dates of the bonds. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.