Sen. Mattie Hunter

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the payment methodology for the nursing component that facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act as skilled nursing facilities or intermediate care facilities must implement shall include, but is not limited to, specific adjustments for additional care and services required by persons with Alzheimer's Disease and related conditions.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that under the Medicaid program, a person who has been diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension, or who has a family history of kidney disease, may be evaluated for kidney disease through routine clinical laboratory assessments of kidney function. Provides that a chronic kidney patient may receive coverage of diagnostic and health care services that have been certified by the patient's treating physician as having clinical benefit for managing risk factors that prolong kidney function or delay progression to kidney replacement therapy, managing risk factors for bone disease and cardiovascular disease associated with chronic kidney disease, improving the nutritional status of a person with chronic kidney disease, or correcting anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall establish a registry of all active and retired health care professionals to be accessed in the event of an act of bioterrorism or other public health emergency. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board for its FY 06 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2005.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Finance Authority for its FY 06 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that beginning January 1, 2007, the Department shall pay an additional $1.33 per hour of chore/housekeeping and homemaker service performed by a chore/housekeeping and homemaker service provider vendor to all vendors who certify that they will offer health insurance to all qualifying employees, and their dependents. Requires the amount of funding, for years after 2007, to be adjusted by the amount of which the medical component of the Consumer Price Index exceeds such component for the previous calendar year. Defines a qualifying employee as an employee that provides over 100 hours of chore/housekeeping and homemaker services per month for 3 consecutive months. Requires that chore/housekeeping and homemaker service provider vendors must certify that 50% of their workforce is eligible for coverage as a qualifying employee. Provides that the Department must set minimum standards for a qualifying health plan by rule. Sets forth that provider vendors who fail to offer coverage to all qualifying employees shall be subject to penalties up to and including the requirement to return all moneys paid under this paragraph by the State as prescribed by Department rule.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to Northeastern Illinois University for its FY 06 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In a Section allowing the Director of Professional Regulation to suspend certain licensing requirements after the proclamation of a disaster by the Governor for persons working under the direction of and emergency services and disaster agency accredited by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Department of Public Health, provides that persons working under the direction of an emergency services and disaster agency accredited by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and a local public health department pursuant to a declared disaster shall be deemed to be working under the direction of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Public Health. Makes the same change to a Section allowing similar license suspension powers to the Director of Public Health. Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Provides that volunteers who are duly qualified and enrolled (sworn in) as a volunteer of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency or an emergency services and disaster agency accredited by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and who are participating in a disaster as defined in Section 4 of this Act, shall be deemed employees of the State for purposes of the Court of Claims Act. Effective immediately.

Extends the date that the Illinois Commission on the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education is to submit its report to the General Assembly and Governor from June 30, 2005 to December 30, 2005.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Math and Science Academy for its FY 06 ordinary and contingent expense. Effective July 1, 2005.