Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Allows active duty military personnel to add time in active duty to the time they can be enrolled in school and still be considered a dependent. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Health Finance Reform Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health must require ambulatory surgical treatment centers licensed to operate in the State of Illinois to adopt a uniform system, based on certain federal laws, for submitting patient charges for payment from public and private payors. Provides that no later than 60 days after the end of each calendar quarter, each hospital and ambulatory surgical treatment center must submit billing data to the Department and sets forth information that must be included in the submission (now, hospitals must submit billing data for conditions and procedures required for public disclosure in the "Consumer Guide to Health Care" and for all inpatient surgical cases). Requires the Department to collect and compile the billing data on a quarterly basis. Sets forth additional information that must be included in the "Consumer Guide to Health Care". 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. Requires the Department to study methods to collect and report data on mortality and nosocomial infection rates from hospitals and ambulatory surgical treatment centers for outpatient services and report its findings and recommendations on its Internet website and to the Governor and General Assembly no later than January 1, 2006. Requires the Department to authorize electronic access to patient billing data collected pursuant to these provisions for use by certain entities. Requires ambulatory surgical treatment centers to make available to prospective patients information on the normal charge incurred for any procedure or operation the prospective patient is considering. Requires the Department to adopt rules for inpatient and outpatient data collection and reporting no later than January 1, 2006. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center (now, hospital) 5 or fewer days before an election is entitled to personal delivery of an absentee ballot. Effective immediately.
Creates the Payday Loan Reform Act. Provides that the Division of Financial Institutions of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall license and regulate entities that offer payday loans (loans under which a lender accepts a post-dated check, authorization to debit a consumer's bank account, or an interest in a consumer's wages as security for the loan). Establishes requirements and restrictions applicable to license applications and licensing. Contains provisions regarding: limitations, requirements, and disclosures applicable to loan agreements, terms of loans, finance charges, and renewal of loans; revocation, suspension, and surrender of licenses; information to be available to the public; complaint handling; hearings; books and records; reports; advertising; prohibited acts; bonding; administrative rules; and other matters. Amends the Financial Institutions Code to provide for the administration of the Payday Loan Reform Act. Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act to provide that the Act does not apply to payday loans. Provides that a violation of the Payday Loan Reform Act constitutes a violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Effective immediately.
Mourns the death of Barron R. "Mr. Fresh" Rice of Springfield.
Creates the Commission to Study the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Past and Present Effects on African-Americans.
Creates a Task Force on Access to Benefits and Services to thoroughly review and analyze policies and procedures concerning applications and determinations of eligibility for cash assistance, food stamps, and medical assistance provided under the Illinois Public Aid Code and the Children's Health Insurance Program Act.
Recognizes the week of April 25, 2005, as National Minority Cancer Awareness Week.
Congratulates Chicago Area Project and the Illinois Council of Area Projects for sponsoring Youth Democracy Day on May 11, 2005.
Designates May 2005 as "Obesity Awareness Month".
