Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

Amends the Nurse Agency Licensing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning legislative intent.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Adds a provision concerning the Governor's Nursing Home Safety Task Force Recommendations (contains a Section heading only).

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the application of the Civil Practice Law.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. With respect to the requirement that a person who is a licensed or registered private detective or a registered employee of a private detective agency must supply the sheriff of any county in which the person serves process with a copy of the person's license or certificate, deletes language providing that the failure of a person to supply a copy of the license or certificate to the sheriff does not impair the validity of process served by the person. In a provision that allows a court to appoint a certified private detective agency as a special process server, deletes language allowing any employee of the private detective agency to serve the process under the appointment.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Appropriates $1,750,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for a grant to Metropolitan Family Services for community mental health services. Effective July 1, 2009.

Creates the Health Carrier External Review Act. Sets forth standards for independent external review procedures for adverse determinations by a health carrier against a covered person. Provides that the Act applies to an entity subject to the insurance laws and regulations of this State or subject to the jurisdiction of the Director and that contracts or offers to contract concerning any costs of health care. Requires health carriers to notify covered persons and their health care providers in writing of the covered person's right to request an external review as provided by the Act. Sets forth notice requirements. Provides that a request for an external review shall not be made until the covered person has exhausted the health carrier's internal grievance process. Sets forth requirements for standard external reviews and expedited external reviews. Provides that an external review decision is binding on the health carrier and binding on the covered person except to the extent the covered person has other remedies available. Sets forth minimum qualifications for independent review organizations and provides that the Director shall approve independent review organizations eligible to be assigned to conduct external reviews. Provides that each health carrier shall maintain written records of external review requests for each calendar year and submit a report to the Director by March 1 of each year. Provides that the health carrier shall be solely responsible for paying the cost of external reviews. Sets forth disclosure requirements. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act to provide that an enrollee may appeal adverse decisions in accordance with the Health Carrier External Review Act. Deletes a provision concerning external independent review. Makes other changes. Contains a severability clause. Effective January 1, 2010.

Creates the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Creates the Illinois Clean Car Act. Establishes a new motor vehicle emission standard for nonattainment areas in the State as authorized under Section 177 of the federal Clean Air Act. Incorporates emission standards and other provisions of the California Low Emission Vehicle Program into the Illinois Clean Vehicles Program, as is required by Section 177 of the federal Clean Air Act. Requires that all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold, leased, or offered for sale or lease, imported, delivered, purchased, rented, acquired, received, titled, or registered in the State beginning with the 2012 model year meet the requirements of the Illinois Clean Vehicles Program. Exempts certain new vehicles from the program. Requires certain types of compliance testing. Requires manufacturers of new motor vehicles subject to the Illinois Clean Vehicles Program to warrant compliance with Illinois Clean Vehicles Program requirements and to comply with certain rules related to the recall of vehicles. Prohibits motor vehicle dealers from selling, offering for sale or lease, or delivering a new motor vehicle subject to these requirements unless the vehicle has received the required certification. Contains other provisions. Requires the Illinois Pollution Control Board to adopt amendments necessary to ensure that the Illinois Clean Vehicle Program is kept identical in substance with the California Low Emission Vehicle Program. Contains other administrative and reporting provisions. Effective immediately.