Sen. Emil Jones

Mourns the death of John W. Buckner.

Amends the School Code. In provisions requiring a criminal history records check to be performed with regard to applicants for employment with a school district or non-public school and whether those applicants may be employed, makes changes concerning the types of convictions checked for and when those convictions occurred. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for revocation of an educator license, changes the definitions of "narcotics offense" and "sex offense". Effective immediately.

Amends the Urban Weatherization Initiative Act. Provides that the efforts of the Urban Weatherization Initiative shall be coordinated with federal weatherization programs. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to administer the Initiative so as to qualify for federal grant or matching programs. Provides the salary of employees hired under the Initiative in accordance with the hourly wages associated with the federal prevailing wage rates for weatherization workers. Provides that the maximum per unit expenditure is limited to $10,000 (currently $6,500) and that a grant recipient may not be awarded grants totaling more than $2,000,000 (currently $500,000) per fiscal year. Provides that 2 voting members of the Weatherization Initiative Board must have experience in residential weatherization or energy efficiency and that one voting member must have experience in workforce development. Requires the Board's annual report to be filed by May 31 (instead of December 31).

Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. Creates the Illinois Sexual Assault Emergency Treatment Program Fund. Prohibits a hospital, health care professional, ambulance provider, laboratory, or pharmacy furnishing hospital emergency services, forensic services, transportation, or medication to a sexual assault survivor from directly billing the survivor. Requires every hospital and health care professional to establish a billing protocol to ensure that no sexual assault survivor is billed for treatment. Contains penalty provisions. Makes other changes. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Sexual Assault Emergency Treatment Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.

Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Provides that a person is immune from criminal liability for certain violations of the Act, and a law enforcement officer may not charge or otherwise take a person into custody for those violations, if the law enforcement officer, after making a reasonable determination and considering the facts and surrounding circumstances, reasonably believes that: (1) the law enforcement officer has contact with that person because the person requested medical assistance for an individual who reasonably appeared to be in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption; (2) the person provided his or her full name and any other relevant information to the law enforcement officer; (3) the person remained at the scene with the individual needing medical assistance until emergency medical assistance personnel arrived; and (4) the person cooperated with emergency medical assistance personnel and law enforcement officers at the scene. Prohibits a person from initiating or maintaining an action against a law enforcement officer based on the law enforcement officer's compliance or failure to comply with the provisions relating to immunity from criminal liability.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. In a provision that requires a facility to conduct a criminal history background check for all persons age 18 or older seeking admission to the facility, provides that a facility is not required to conduct the criminal history background check if a criminal history background check was completed by the facility the resident resided at prior to seeking admission to the facility and the resident was transferred to the facility with no time passing during which the resident was not institutionalized.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code and the Illinois Public Aid Code. With regard to the respective requirements concerning coverage and payment for screening by low-dose mammography for all women 35 years of age or older for the presence of occult breast cancer, includes a screening MRI when medically necessary, as determined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, and if the American Cancer Society's guidelines for appropriate use for women at high risk for breast cancer are met. Further amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that on and after January 1, 2016, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall ensure that all networks of care for adult clients of the Department include access to at least one breast imaging Center of Imaging Excellence as certified by the American College of Radiology. Provides that on and after January 1, 2017, providers participating in a breast cancer treatment quality improvement program approved by the Department shall be reimbursed for breast cancer treatment at a rate that is no lower than 95% of the Medicare program's rates for the data elements included in the breast cancer treatment quality program. Makes changes concerning the case-managing and patient navigation pilot program. Sets forth provisions concerning departmental requirements for networks of care. Provides that on and after January 1, 2016, the Department shall ensure that provider and hospital reimbursement for certain required post-mastectomy care benefits are no lower than the Medicare reimbursement rate. Provides that on and after January 1, 2016 and subject to funding availability, the Department shall administer a grant program to build the public infrastructure for breast cancer imaging and diagnostic services across the State. Effective immediately.

Creates the Youth Mental Health Protection Act. Defines "mental health provider" and "sexual orientation change efforts" or "conversion therapy". Provides that no mental health provider shall engage in sexual orientation change efforts with a person under the age of 18. Provides that a mental health provider shall not refer a client or patient to any individual for the purpose of sexual orientation change efforts. Further provides that any sexual orientation change effort attempted on a person under the age of 18 or any referral made by a mental health provider shall be considered unprofessional conduct and shall be subject to discipline by the licensing entity or disciplinary review board with competent jurisdiction.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Allows a person who earned a high school diploma, associate's degree, career certificate, vocational technical certification, or bachelor's degree, or passed the high school level Test of General Educational Development, during the period of his or her sentence, aftercare release, or mandatory supervised release, to petition for sealing before expiration of applicable waiting periods under the sealing law. The person cannot have completed the same educational goal previously. If the person's petition for sealing is denied, then the applicable waiting period under the sealing law shall apply to any subsequent petition for sealing by the person.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for any person to smoke tobacco in any area of a day care center, day care home, or group day care home (removing qualifying language regarding services being provided or children being present). Effective immediately.