Urges President Obama and Congress to allocate $2 billion of the next economic stimulus plan to employ low-income youth.
Creates the Task Force on Eliminating Racial Bias in Suspensions and Expulsions to examine the causes of the racial gap in suspension and expulsion rates and submit a report to the General Assembly by April 15, 2010.
Mourns the death of Jeffrey H. Steadman Sr. of Lombard.
Mourns the death of Dorothy M. Burns.
Mourns the death of Joyce Ann Pittman.
Mourns the death of Richard Cesar Chirinos of Chicago.
Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning charter schools.
Creates the Individual Market Fairness Reform Law. Provides that a managed care entity shall (1) fairly and affirmatively offer all of its managed care plans that are sold to all individuals in each service area in which the managed care entity provides or arranges for the provision of health care services and (2) may not reject an application for an individual managed care plan if certain requirements are met. Provides that the Division of Insurance of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall develop a system to categorize all managed care plans offered and sold to individuals pursuant to this Law into 5 coverage choice categories. Creates the Minimum Medical Loss Ratio Law. Provides that any company selling a health benefit plan in the individual or small group market shall expend in the form of health care benefits no less than 85 percent of the aggregate dues, fees, and premiums received by the company. Creates the Health Sure Illinois Law to establish a program for the purpose of making managed care plans affordable and accessible to small employers and individuals. Provides that the program is limited to active managed care entities. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates new Articles in the Code establishing the Office of Patient Protection and the Illinois Health Carrier External Review Law. Amends the Small Employer Health Insurance Rating Act, Illinois Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act in provisions concerning small employers, individuals, review, and rates. Repeals a provision of the Small Employer Health Insurance Rating Act concerning establishment of a class of business. Makes other changes.
Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Requires the Chairpersons of the House of Representatives' Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education and the Senate's Committee on Education to each appoint 5 members to a Special Joint Chicago Education Facilities Subcommittee. Requires the Joint Subcommittee, with the help of independent experts, to analyze past school district experience with respect to the closing or opening of schools, school repairs, school additions, school phase-outs, school consolidations, and school boundary changes; to consult widely with stakeholders about these facility issues; and to examine relevant best practices from other school systems for dealing with these issues systematically and equitably. Provides for a draft policy and a final proposed policy. Provides that there shall be a moratorium on school closings, consolidations, and phaseouts in the school district in the 2009-2010 school year, and provides that any of these actions that are subsequently appropriate shall be carried out no sooner than the end of the 2010-2011 school year. Effective immediately.
Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. In connection with the pharmaceutical assistance program under the Act, provides that to become a beneficiary under the program, a person must have a maximum household income equal to or less than 239% of the Federal Poverty Level (instead of less than specified amounts or equal to or less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level). Provides for 4 (instead of 5) Eligibility Groups (eliminates current Eligibility Group 3). For persons in the Eligibility Group consisting of persons who have a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS, provides for an alternative co-payment according to whether or not a drug is covered by the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan in which the beneficiary is enrolled (in addition to whether or not the drug is included in the formulary of the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program operated by the Illinois Department of Public Health). Makes changes in the definitions of "covered prescription drug" for each Eligibility Group. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
