Sen. Napoleon Harris

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging, the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Regarding services provided under the Community Care Program, the Home Services Program, the supportive living facilities program, and the nursing home prescreening project, provides that individuals with a score of 29 or higher based on the determination of need assessment tool are eligible to receive institutional and home and community-based long term care services until the State receives federal approval and implements an updated assessment tool. Requires the Department on Aging, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to promulgate rules regarding the updated assessment tool, but prohibits those Departments from promulgating emergency rules regarding the updated assessment tool. Provides that the State shall not implement an updated assessment tool that causes more than 1% of then-current recipients to lose eligibility; and that anyone determined to be ineligible for services due to the updated assessment tool shall continue to be eligible for services for at least one year following that determination and must be reassessed no earlier than 11 months after that determination. Further amends the Illinois Public Aid Code by deleting a provision requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to, subject to federal approval, on and after July 1, 2012, effectuate an increase in the determination of need scores from 29 to 37 for applicants for institutional and home and community-based long term care. Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that no individual receiving care in an institutional setting shall be involuntarily discharged as the result of the updated assessment tool until a transition plan has been developed by the Department on Aging or its designee and all care identified in the transition plan is available to the resident immediately upon discharge. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Juvenile Justice for its FY16 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2015.

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).

Mourns the death of Mother Charlotte Elizabeth Eades.

Creates the Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to require all authorized insurers regulated by the Department of Insurance to undertake good faith efforts, as specified in the Act, to locate and pay beneficiaries' proceeds under unclaimed life insurance policies, annuity contracts, and retained asset accounts issued in the State or remit such proceeds as unclaimed property to the appropriate jurisdiction if the beneficiaries are unable to be located or paid. Requires insurers to implement the certain policies and procedures for performing a comparison of its policies, annuity contracts, and retained asset accounts against the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File. Provides that failure to meet any requirement of the Act is an unfair trade practice under the Illinois Insurance Code, and amends the Illinois Insurance Code to make a corresponding change.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires vehicle registration plates to be clearly visible at all times and free from materials or objects that would obstruct the visibility of the plate.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of firearms trafficking. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she has not been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card and knowingly brings, or causes to be brought, into the State, a firearm or firearm ammunition, or both, for the purpose of sale, delivery, or transfer to any other person or with the intent to sell, deliver, or transfer the firearm or firearm ammunition to any other person. Provides that firearms trafficking is a Class 1 felony for which the person, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall be sentenced to not less than 4 years and not more than 20 years. Provides that firearms trafficking by a person who has been previously convicted of firearms trafficking, gunrunning, or a felony offense for the unlawful sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm or firearm ammunition in this State or another jurisdiction is a Class X felony. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a period of probation, a term of periodic imprisonment or conditional discharge shall not be imposed when the person has been found guilty of firearms trafficking involving both a firearm and firearm ammunition. Provides that the court shall sentence the offender to not less than the minimum term of imprisonment for the offense. Effective immediately.

Creates the Human Trafficking Task Force Act. Provides requirements regarding the composition and duties of the task force. Provides that the task force shall provide a report containing specified information to the General Assembly and Governor no later than June 30, 2016. Abolishes the task force and repeals the Act on July 1, 2016. Effective immediately.

Amends the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code, the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985, the Illinois Public Accounting Act, and the Real Estate License Act of 2000. Allows the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to consider an applicant's prior conviction or convictions, but provides that the conviction or convictions may not be the sole basis for refusing to issue a license unless the crime substantially and directly relates to the occupation for which the license is sought. Requires that if the conviction is used as a basis for rejection, the rejection must be in writing and specifically state the evidence presented and reasons for rejection, which must be substantially and directly related to the licensed activity. Provides specific considerations the Department must use in making its decision for rejection. Provides what the Department shall use as evidence of rehabilitation so that all license rights and privileges granted under the Act, under consideration for issuance or formerly revoked or suspended because of conviction of an offense, are automatically restored unless the Department finds that restoration is not in the public interest. Requires that the Department not consider non-conviction records, convictions that did not result in incarceration, or convictions unrelated to the capacity to serve the public. In provisions concerning grounds for discipline, makes changes concerning disqualifying criminal penalties and delinquent child support.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that any commissions or revenues for the provision of pay telephones in institutions and facilities of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice for those incarcerated are prohibited. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 5 cents per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not bill to any party any service charge or additional fee exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to, any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement fee, monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee, as established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375, FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Provides that telephone services made available through a prepaid or collect call system shall include international calls; those calls shall be made available at reasonable rates subject to Federal Communications Commission rules and regulations, but not to exceed 25 cents per minute. Provides that the amendatory Act applies to any new or renewal contract for inmate calling services. Effective January 1, 2017.