Sen. Iris Y. Martinez

Amends the University of Illinois Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the University's president.

Amends the Title Insurance Act. Excludes a limited liability company from the requirement that every title insurance agent registration applicant must be 18 years or more of age. Provides that included in every application for registration by a title insurance company, including a firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation, shall be an affidavit, signed and notarized in front of a notary public, affirming that the applicant and any owner, officer, director, principal, member, or manager has never been convicted or pled guilty to any felony or misdemeanor involving a crime of theft or dishonesty. Provides that no person who has had a conviction or pled guilty to any felony or misdemeanor involving theft or dishonesty shall be registered by a title insurance company, and no such person may serve as an owner, officer, director, principal, or manager of any registered title insurance agent. Includes additional factors whereby the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation may refuse to grant or may suspend or revoke any certificate of authority, registration, or license issued pursuant to the Act or impose a fine for a violation of the Act. Effective January 1, 2013.

Creates the Electronic Prescribing Act. Provides that beginning August 1, 2014, a drug prior authorization request must be accessible to a health care provider with the provider's electronic prescribing software system and must be accepted electronically, through a secure electronic transmission, by the payer, by the insurance company, or by the pharmacy benefit manager responsible for implementing or adjudicating or for implementing and adjudicating the authorization or denial of the prior authorization request. Provides that beginning August 1, 2014, electronic transmission devices used to communicate a prescription to a pharmacist may not use any means or permit any other person to use any means, including advertising, commercial messaging, and pop-up advertisements, to influence or attempt to influence through economic incentives the prescribing decision of a prescribing practitioner at the point of care. Creates the Electronic Prescribing Study Committee to study certain aspects of optimizing electronic prescribing systems, including, how to ensure that the prescribing decisions of practitioners at the point of care are focused on patient safety and quality outcomes, and that attempts to influence those decisions, through economic incentives or otherwise, are kept to a minimum. Contains provisions concerning Committee policies; Committee hearings; the Committee's composition; compensation; and reporting requirements. Effective July 1, 2012.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that there shall be a moratorium on school closings, consolidations, and phase-outs in the school district in the 2012-2013 school year. Provides that any of these actions that are subsequently appropriate must be carried out no sooner than the end of the 2013-2014 school year, subject to any new set of requirements adopted by the General Assembly. During this moratorium period, requires the district to establish polices that address and remedy the academic performance of schools in which Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores reflect students performing at or below 75%. Requires these policies to establish clear criteria or processes for establishing criteria for making school facility decisions and include clear criteria for setting priorities with respect to school openings, school closings, school consolidations, school turnarounds, school phase-outs, school construction, school repairs, school modernizations, school boundary changes, and other related school facility decisions, including the encouragement of multiple community uses for school space. Effective immediately.

Amends the Professional Boxing Act. Changes the short title to the Boxing and Full-contact Martial Arts Act. Provides that all professional and amateur contests, or combination of both, are prohibited unless authorized by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, unless one of the exemption applies. Provides that compensation for professional contests shall be determined by the Department and it shall be the promoters that pay the compensation. Requires a person to register as an amateur with the Department before competing in an amateur contest and provides requirements for an applicant to register as an amateur in a full-contact martial arts contest. Increases the civil penalty to $10,000 from $5,000 for anyone who violates the licensing provisions of the Act. Provides requirements for the logistics, including required medical personnel to be present, location and length of contests, and required officials to be present for professional or amateur, or combination of both, contests to be held in accordance with the Act. Requires promoters to pay to the Department of Revenue 3% of the first $500,000 and 4% of additional total gross receipts from the sale, lease, or other exploitation of broadcasting, including, but not limited to, Internet, cable, television, and motion picture rights for that professional or amateur contest in addition to payment of any other taxes or money due. Permits the Department to disclose information and documents related to an examination or investigation of a licensee, registrant, or applicant only to law enforcement officials, other regulatory agencies that have an appropriate regulatory interest as determined by the Secretary, or a party presenting a lawful subpoena to the Department. Makes other changes. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to extend the Act from January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2022. Effective immediately.

Creates the Hospital Fair Care Act. Provides that each general hospital operating in the State must provide certain financial assistance to eligible individuals on a yearly basis in a total amount at least equal to the thresholds set in the Act. Sets forth provisions concerning financial assistance and eligibility. Provides that non-profit general hospitals must provide financial assistance for hospital fiscal year 2012 and beyond at a threshold level equal to at least 3.5% of the hospital's total revenue. Sets forth provisions concerning application for financial assistance, notification of the availability of financial assistance, and patient rights and responsibilities. Provides that each hospital that does not meet the applicable threshold level of financial assistance shall pay a fee that is deposited into the State Fair Care Trust Fund. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall be responsible for calculating each general non-profit hospital's Fair Care fee. Sets forth provisions concerning the position of Fair Care Officer to be established within the Department of Revenue. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Fair Care Trust Fund. Makes other changes. Effective on January 1, 2012.

Creates the Illinois Automatic IRA Program Act. Provides that the Illinois Automatic IRA Program shall be administered by the State Treasurer and that the Treasurer shall adopt regulations to implement the Program. Allows employees of certain employers that have not offered a qualified retirement plan for 2 years to set aside a percentage of their wages to be deposited into an IRA trust fund administered by the State Treasurer's office. Sets minimum requirements for the operation of the Program. Sets forth duties and authority of the State Treasurer in relation to the Program. Limits State and employer liability. Contains provisions regarding audits and reports. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Automatic IRA Program Act. Provides that the Illinois Automatic IRA Program shall be administered by the State Treasurer and that the Treasurer shall adopt regulations to implement the Program. Allows employees of certain employers that have not offered a qualified retirement plan for 2 years to set aside a percentage of their wages to be deposited into an IRA trust fund administered by the State Treasurer's office. Sets minimum requirements for the operation of the Program. Sets forth duties and authority of the State Treasurer in relation to the Program. Limits State and employer liability. Contains provisions regarding audits and reports. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that there shall be no reduction in teachers because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization after the first day (instead of the 20th day following the first day) of the school year, except under certain circumstances.

Creates the Foreclosure Prevention and Housing Task Force Act. Creates the Foreclosure Prevention and Housing Task Force to help move all communities in this State towards a direction of economic recovery and rebuilding. Contains provisions concerning the composition of the Task Force; Task Force duties; and reporting requirements. Effective immediately.