Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

Mourns the death of Albert "Al" Gillespie of Chicago.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the rules and regulations for the early release of a prisoner on account of good conduct shall also provide that an additional 60 days of good conduct credit shall be awarded to any prisoner who earns a high school diploma or passes the high school level Test of General Educational Development (GED) and receives a GED certificate while the prisoner is incarcerated. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall develop and establish a program designed to increase the number of committed persons enrolled in programs to obtain a high school diploma or to pass the high school level Test of General Educational Development (GED) and receive GED certificates by at least 100% over the 4-year period following the effective date of this amendatory Act. Provides that pursuant to the program, each institution and facility shall report annually to the Director of Corrections on the number of committed persons enrolled in high school education programs and those who pass the high school level Test of General Educational Development (GED) and receive GED certificates, and the number of committed persons who are on waiting lists for those educational programs. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Fleeta Hansford Clarvoe.

Mourns the death of Louise Higgins.

Mourns the death of Earl Duke Sr.

Mourns the death of Laura Lucille Cherry Barnes of Chicago.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a State goal that all school districts have a wellness policy that is consistent with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Requires the Department of Public Health and the State Board to form an interagency working group to publish model wellness policies and sample programs. Requires the State Board to establish a pilot project to implement model wellness policies. Creates the School Wellness Policy Taskforce to identify barriers to implementing wellness policies, recommend how to reduce those barriers, recommend statewide school nutrition standards, and evaluate the effectiveness of wellness policies. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Prompt Payment Act. Requires a State official or agency responsible for administering a contract, when submitting a voucher to the Comptroller for payment to a contractor, to promptly make available electronically the voucher number, the fate of the voucher, and the amount of the voucher. Provides that the State official or agency responsible for administering the contract shall provide subcontractors and material suppliers, known to the State official or agency, with instructions on how to access the electronic information. Provides that if a contractor, without reasonable cause, fails to make a full (now, any) payment of certain amounts due to his subcontractors and material supplier within 15 days after receipt of payment under a public construction contract, the contractor must pay the subcontractors and material suppliers 4% (now, 2%) interest each months in addition to the payments due until the amount is fully paid. Provides procedures for subcontractors and material suppliers to follow. Provides that if a State official or agency responsible for administering a contract determines, after notice to appropriate parties and a hearing, that a contractor has failed to make a payment in full within 45 days under a public construction contract, then that contractor must make payment within 15 days after the finding; if not, the contractor is barred from entering into a State public construction contract for one year.

Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act to include all employees of licensed and certified long-term care facilities who have or may have contact with residents or have access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of residents. Provides that beginning January 1, 2006, each long-term care facility operating in the State must initiate, or have initiated on its behalf, a UCIA criminal history record check for all employees with duties that involve or may involve contact with residents or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of residents. Provides that a health care employer may conditionally employ an applicant for up to 3 months pending the results of a UCIA criminal history record check (now, a health care employer may conditionally employ the applicant to provide direct care for up to 3 months pending the results of the check). Provides that an individual shall not be employed from the time that an employer receives the results of a non-fingerprint check containing disqualifying conditions until the time that the individual receives a waiver from the Department (now, an individual shall not be employed in a direct care position from that time until he or she receives the waiver). Provides that if the individual challenges the results of the non-fingerprint check, the employer may continue to employ the individual if the individual presents convincing evidence to the employer that the non-fingerprint check is invalid (now, the employer may continue to employ the individual in a direct care position if the individual presents convincing evidence that the non-fingerprint check is invalid).

Amends the School Code. Provides that for elementary school students who are in a State-approved transitional bilingual education program or transitional program of instruction, the time allotted to take State tests may be extended as determined by the State Board of Education by rule.