Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Excludes from the definition of "pollution control facility" a transfer station used exclusively for landscape waste where the waste is held no longer than 24 hours from the time it was received. Effective immediately.
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Adds school counselor and school counselor intern to the list of professions included in the definition of "professional worker". Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Repeals various provisions concerning: a market rate survey and a plan to revise rates for child care; a study of the implementation of TANF and related welfare reforms; a study of the impact upon Illinois resident non-citizens of the denial or termination of certain types of assistance; sheltered care rates; a targeted jobs TANF project; facilities for child care; a survey of teen parent services; and a job skills enhancement pilot program. Effective January 1, 2008.
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, in the development of the individualized education program for a student who has a disability on the autism spectrum, the IEP team shall consider and shall specifically address certain factors. Provides that consideration of these factors shall result in the clarification of a school district's responsibility to deliver appropriate educational services for children with disabilities on the autism spectrum, but shall not be construed to require or mandate any specific services. Effective January 1, 2008.
Amends the Department of Human Services Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, for purposes of the Department of Human Services' disability database, "developmental disabilities" include autism spectrum disorders. In connection with Medicaid, provides that a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder shall be considered a person with a "developmental disability" or a "person with a related condition" for purposes of determining eligibility for services under Home and Community-Based Services Waivers for persons with developmental disabilities, without regard to whether that person is also diagnosed with mental retardation and without regard to that person's IQ level, so long as the person otherwise meets applicable level-of-care criteria under those waivers. Effective immediately.
Creates the Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act and the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force. Sets out the composition of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall develop a plan for expanding and supporting a State local and organic food system and for assessing and overcoming obstacles to an increase in locally grown food and local organic food production. Sets out the contents of the plan. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Local Organic Food and Farm Fund. Effective immediately.
Urges the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Congress to take action against an increase in discharged pollutants from the Whiting, Indiana British Petroleum refinery.
Urges the United States Congress to support and pass H.R. 1279 to provide states with an option to receive additional medicaid funding to reimburse community-based organizations to raise the wages of direct support professionals.
Amends the Hemophilia Care Act. Adds the findings of the General Assembly. Creates the Hemophilia Advisory Review Board. Provides that the Board shall review, may comment upon, and make recommendations to the Director of Healthcare and Family Services and the Director of Insurance with regard to, but not limited to, certain issues regarding hemophilia. Provides that the Board shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report with recommendations for maintaining access to care and obtaining appropriate health insurance coverage for individuals with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Provides that the report shall be subject to public review and comment prior to adoption. No later than 6 months after adoption by the Governor and Legislature and annually thereafter, the Director of Healthcare and Family Services shall issue a report, which shall be made available to the public, on the status of implementing the recommendations as proposed by the Board and on any state and national activities with regard to hemophilia and other bleeding and disorders. Makes other technical changes.
Declares that (i) it is important for manufacturers of wireless telephones to design products with environmentally friendly materials to the extent practicable and (ii) manufacturers of wireless telephones and retailers of wireless telephones arrange for the collection and shipping and the refurbishment or recycling of wireless telephones by partners committed to environmentally sound practices for recycling and reuse.
