Sen. Iris Y. Martinez

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides Medicaid eligibility for persons who meet income and asset guidelines, have a pending application for asylum with the federal Department of Homeland Security or are receiving services through a federally funded torture treatment center, and can demonstrate that they are seeking treatment for trauma resulting from torture in their countries of origin. Provides for Medicaid coverage of such persons for up to 2 years. Effective immediately.

Amends the Grow Our Own Teacher Education Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Grow Your Own Teacher Act. Defines "developmental classes" and makes changes to the definition of "parent and community leaders" and "schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income students". Replaces references to "student" and "participant" with "candidate" throughout the Act. Provides that the State Board shall establish criteria that address the inclusion in the planned program of strategies derived from community organizing that will help candidates develop tools for working with parents and other community members. Provides for partial loan forgiveness for shortened periods of service in hard-to-staff schools or hard-to-staff teaching positions. Provides that school districts may use those portions of the grant money designated for the expenses of supporting the work experiences of candidates and providing mentors for graduates or other applicable public funds to pay participants in programs under the initiative for student teaching required by an accredited teacher preparation program. Provides that one member of the consortium may expend funds to cover the salary of a site-based cohort coordinator and that grant funds may be expended to pay directly for required developmental classes for candidates beginning a program. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2007.

Creates the Comprehensive Housing Planning Act. Provides that during the period from the effective date of the Act through June 30, 2016, the State of Illinois shall prepare and be guided by an annual comprehensive housing plan that is consistent with the affirmative fair housing provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act and specifically addresses certain underserved populations, including households earning below 50% of the area median income, low-income senior citizens, and low-income persons with a disability. Sets forth items that must be included in the plan, including (i) the identification of all funding sources for which the State has administrative control that are available for housing construction, rehabilitation, preservation, operating or rental subsidies, and supportive services and (ii) goals for the number and types of housing units to be constructed, preserved, or rehabilitated each year for the specified underserved populations. Provides for an Executive Committee and an Interagency Subcommittee. Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority, in consultation with the Interagency Subcommittee, to annually issue a joint Notice of Funding Availability to notify potential applicants of funding for specific programs expected to be available through State agencies to meet housing needs identified in the Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage for the treatment of pervasive developmental disorders. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to provide that certain mental health coverages apply to health maintenance organizations and individual policies of accident and health insurance. Effective immediately.

Amend the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Establishes the CLEAN-WIN program. Provides that the Department of Public Health must reimburse eligible owners of dwellings for replacing windows in living units deemed lead hazards by the Department. Requires the Department to appropriate funds for the program and to adopt rules to implement the program and to establish criteria for eligibility. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act by repealing a requirement that the Department of Human Services submit an annual comprehensive status report on compliance with the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 to the Governor and General Assembly. Effective immediately.

Creates the Joint Task Force on the College Insurance Program to review the Program and consider whether the City Colleges of Chicago should be included.

Recognizes April 8, 2006, as YMCA Healthy Kids Day in the State of Illinois.

Directs the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit of the State moneys provided by or through State agencies to the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Inc., and/or the Mexican American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Inc., under contracts or grant agreements in Fiscal Years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. For the purposes of property offenses, defines "governmental property" as funds or other property owned by the State, a unit of local government, or a school district. Provides for enhanced penalties for theft of governmental property. Establishes the same penalties for this offense as the penalties for theft committed in a school or place of worship.