Sen. Mattie Hunter

Amends the Illinois Health Care Finance Reform Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to require all ambulatory surgical treatment centers licensed to operate in the State (now, the requirement applies only to hospitals licensed to operate in the State) to adopt a uniform system for submitting patient claims and encounter data (now, patient billing data) for payment from public and private payors. Requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to submit billing data to the Department of Public Health no later than 60 days after the end of each calendar quarter. Requires the Department to include certain information in its "Consumer Guide to Health Care" on its website. Authorizes the Department to disclose certain information on its website. Authorizes the Department to promulgate rules concerning the provisions of the Illinois Health Care Finance Reform Act. Requires that ambulatory surgical treatment centers, organizations representing ambulatory surgical treatment centers, purchasers, consumer groups, and health plans be meaningfully involved in the development of all aspects of the Department's methodology for collecting, analyzing, and disclosing the information collected under this Act. Requires the Department to evaluate additional methods for comparing the performance of hospitals and ambulatory surgical treatment centers and report its findings and recommendations on its Internet website and to the Governor and General Assembly no later than January 1, 2006. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Secretary of State Act. Provides that the Secretary of State is authorized to create a fund outside the State treasury, to be known as the Secretary of State Antique Vehicle Show Fund. Provides that the Fund shall be created and maintained in a manner approved by the Auditor General. Provides that the Fund shall be maintained by the Secretary or his or her designee. Provides that moneys received from entry fees paid by contestants in the Secretary of State Antique Vehicle Show may be deposited into the Fund. Provides that moneys deposited into the Fund shall be used by the Secretary of State Antique Vehicle Show Committee to promote and produce the annual Secretary of State Antique Vehicle Show. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Re-enacts the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. The exemption was created by Public Act 88-669, which has been held to be unconstitutional as a violation of the single subject clause of the Illinois Constitution. Includes validation provisions. Increases the maximum reduction for the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption from $3,000 to $3,500 for taxable years 2006 and thereafter. Increases the maximum income limitation in the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption from $45,000 to $50,000 for taxable years 2006 and thereafter. Amends the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Increases the maximum income limitation under the Act from $40,000 to $45,000 for taxable years 2006 and thereafter. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. In provisions that require a public or nonpublic school to permit the self-administration of medication by a pupil with asthma, adds the requirement that the school also permit the self-administration of medication by a pupil with allergies. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois State Diabetes Commission Act. Establishes the Illinois State Diabetes Commission. Sets forth term lengths of members and provides that members shall be reimbursed only for reasonable and necessary expenses. Requires the Department of Public Health to provide administrative support for the Commission. Sets forth duties of the Commission. Permits the Department to accept on behalf of the Commission any federal funds or gifts and donations from individuals, private organizations, and foundations. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2010. Effective November 1, 2006.

Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to submit a report to the General Assembly containing information on hospitals that have submitted a plan to provide emergency services to sexual assault survivors to the Department and to post the report on its Internet website. Changes the maximum fine for failure to submit a Plan of Correction or to implement the Plan of Correction to $1,000 (now, $100.00) per day. Requires the Department to accept and investigate any complaint of a hospital not providing services required by the Act. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Beverly Jean Nicholson.

Mourns the death of Merl Lee Butler.

Urges the United States Department of Education to use more flexible criteria in determining adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and creates a No Child Left Behind Growth-Model Task Force to examine the models proposed by other states and to explore the potential for a growth model to give a clearer, fairer picture of individual student progress.

Creates the Integrated Telecommunications Outreach, Quality of Service, and Digital Literacy Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to: (i) establish a telecommunications outreach program in consultation with the Illinois Commerce Commission and (ii) establish a Quality of Service Data Sharing program in cooperation with the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Attorney General. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in cooperation with various State agencies and other entities, to establish an Eliminate the Digital Divide Trust Program.