Extends the date by which the Joint Task Force on Rural Health must report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning pharmacy payments under the Medicaid program, provides that the Department of Public Aid may not impose prior approval requirements for antidepressants or other drugs used in treating serious mental illnesses (adding antidepressants to the list of such drugs and deleting the provision allowing imposition of such requirements after conducting an impact study). Requires the Department to ensure continuous access to medications 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Provides for an emergency 72-hour supply of a drug prescribed for a mental illness. Makes other changes, Effective immediately.
Amends the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Repeals a provision that repeals the Act on July 1, 2007.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Changes references in the statute on unlawful sale of firearms from "sell" or "give" to "transfer". Prohibits multiple sales of handguns within a 30-day period. Creates the offense of unlawful acquisition of handguns. Provides exemptions and affirmative defenses. Penalty is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Human Services (DHS), with the advice of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, shall work with the Social Services Advisory Council to develop outcome measures, data-based performance indicators, and annual reports in connection with the various programs that support the work effort of lower-income workers, including TANF, Medicaid, General Assistance, Food Stamps, and KidCare. Sets forth performance indicators to be used in connection with the outcome measures of (i) the extent to which the estimated population of eligible people and families under each of the programs is enrolled in the program and utilizes features of the program and (ii) the extent to which DHS local offices and staff deliver quality services and administer the programs consistently with the Department's established policies and procedures. Requires DHS to conduct an annual hearing on the administration of work support programs at the local office level not later than September of each year. Requires DHS to prepare an annual report and present it to the General Assembly on October 1, 2006. Effective immediately.
Creates the Advantage Illinois Prescription Access Plan Act. Contains only a short title Section.
Amends the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act. Provides that a recipient of Program grants must be constructing, modifying, altering, or retrofitting an (i) ethanol plant (now, just plant) that has annual production capacity of no less than 30,000,000 gallons of renewable fuel per year or a (ii) biodiesel plant. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and administer grant programs including: the Illinois Renewable Fuels Majority Blended Ethanol Program, the Illinois Corn Grain to Fuel Research Consortium Assistance Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Corn-to-Hydrogen Fuel Cell Research Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Biodiesel Infrastructure Grant Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Ethanol Development Intergovernmental Assistance Program. Sets forth the purposes and conditions for these grant programs. Provides that subject to appropriation (now, subject to appropriation from the Build Illinois Bond Fund), the Director is authorized to award Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund grants. Sets forth that the annual aggregate amount for these grants shall not exceed $25,000,000 in Fiscal year 2007 and 2008 and $15,000,000 thereafter (now, may not exceed $15,000,000). Specifies how these grant funds shall be allocated. Sets forth certain limitations on spending on the various Program grants including for research conducted at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Facility at SIU-Edwardsville not to exceed $1,000,000 annually, and a one-time grant in FY 2007 not to exceed $3,000,000 for construction, remodeling, and expansion of the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Facility at SIU-Edwardsville. Provides that normal operating and execution of renewable fuels programs in existence on January 1, 2006 within the Department from the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund shall not exceed $5,000,000 annually. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury to fund these grant programs. Sets forth certain conditions for the operation of this Fund. Provides for certain annual payments from the General Revenue Fund to the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, to provide that on or after July 1, 2006 and on or before June 30, 2016, those tax rates apply to 90% of the proceeds of sales made on gasohol (now, apply to 80% of the proceeds of sales made on gasohol). Amends the Motor Fuel and Petroleum Standards Act to provide that beginning January 1, 2008 a minimum of 10% of all motor fuel sold or offered for sale in Illinois must be denatured ethanol and that beginning January 1, 2012 a minimum of 15% of all motor fuel sold or offered for sale in Illinois must be denatured ethanol. Effective July 1, 2006.
Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that the list of subjects of collective bargaining between the Chicago school district and the exclusive bargaining representative of its employees that is now permissive is instead mandatory. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
Amends the Clerks of Courts Act. Provides that, in counties with a population exceeding 600,000, the expense of establishing and maintaining a legal self-help center by the court may be borne by the county. Provides that the county board may require the clerk of the circuit court in the county to charge and collect a fee of not more than $3 to defray the expense of a legal self-help center. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that the Spring mandate waiver report the State Board of Education files with the General Assembly shall be filed before each March 1 (instead of May 1). Gives the General Assembly 60 days (instead of 30 days) to disapprove the report in whole or in part. Makes an exception to the daily physical education requirement on block scheduled days if a school is engaged in block scheduling.
