Sen. Carole Pankau

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code in the provision concerning group accident and health insurance to provide that no group policy may be issued or delivered without a provision that if an employee presents to an employer proof that the employee is covered under another accident and health insurance policy, then the employee may decline coverage by opting out of the group coverage and that the amount, if any, that would be charged to the employee if the employee were to participate in the group coverage shall be deducted from the premium for group coverage. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act. Provides that, beginning with the general election in 2012 and each succeeding general election, a forest preserve district shall be divided into 6 districts and one commissioner of the forest preserve district shall be elected from each district that is co-extensive with a county with a population of more than 800,000 but less than 3,000,000 (now, commissioners of the forest preserve district are elected from the same districts as members of the county board). Provides that by July 1, 2011 and each 10 years thereafter, the board of commissioners of a forest preserve district shall develop an apportionment plan for the district. Sets forth the requirements for the apportionment plan. Provides that, if any forest preserve district fails to complete the reapportionment of its district by July 1 in 2011 or any 10 years thereafter, the county clerk of that county shall convene the county apportionment commission to develop the apportionment plan. Sets forth the requirements for filing an apportionment plan. Provides that, if no apportionment plan is filed, then the commissioners of the forest preserve district shall be elected at large in the district. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a credit in an amount equal to: (i) 100% of the cost of unemployment insurance and worker's compensation paid during the taxable year for each employee hired by the taxpayer during the taxable year and (ii) 50% of the cost of unemployment insurance and worker's compensation paid during the taxable year for each employee hired by the taxpayer during the previous taxable year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that, on and after the effective date of the amendatory Act, any Taxpayer that is awarded a credit under the Act may elect to claim the Credit against its withholding tax obligations (now, only certain taxpayers that are engaged in motor vehicle metal stamping, automobile manufacturing, automobile and light duty motor vehicle manufacturing, motor vehicle manufacturing, light truck and utility vehicle manufacturing, heavy duty truck manufacturing, or motor vehicle body manufacturing may claim the credit against withholdings). Effective immediately.

Amends the Children's Health Insurance Program Act and the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act. In the provisions concerning eligibility for the KidCare and Covering ALL KIDS programs, sets an asset limit of $10,000, excluding the value of the child's residence and the value of a vehicle (other than a recreational vehicle) used by the household. Makes changes concerning the reporting of changes in income and other circumstances that affect eligibility. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to seek a waiver of federal requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to allow the Department to immediately implement the changes made by the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "zero-based budgeting" as a method of setting budgets that requires a justification of all expenditures, not only those that exceed the prior year's allocations. Thus, each budget line begins at a zero base and must be funded according to merit rather than according to the level approved for the preceding year, when circumstances were probably different. For fiscal year 2013 and thereafter, provides that the budgets submitted by the Governor and appropriations made by the General Assembly for the judicial branch and for all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission must adhere to the principles of zero-based budgeting. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall accept job postings from all local units of government and shall post those openings on its current statewide database of jobs. Provides that the database shall be searchable by locale and other reasonable and accepted criteria. Effective immediately.

Amends the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall report to the General Assembly no later than January 31 of each year beginning in 2013 the number of undocumented and documented immigrant children enrolled in the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Program for the previous fiscal year and, with regard to undocumented immigrant children enrolled in the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Program, the number of undocumented immigrant children whose household income was at or between 0% and 133% of the federal poverty level as determined by the Department and the number of undocumented immigrant children whose household income was at or between 134% and 300% of the poverty level as determined by the Department. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the classes of persons eligible for Medicaid.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.