Sen. Kimberly Lightford

Amends the School Code. Provides that each school district may make suitable provisions for instruction in bullying prevention in all grades and include such instruction in the courses of study regularly taught therein. Provides that a school board may collaborate with a community-based agency providing specialized curricula in bullying prevention whose ultimate outcome is to prevent sexual violence. Allows the State Board of Education to assist in the development of instructional materials and teacher training in relation to bullying prevention. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group health benefit plan shall provide coverage for 60 (now 35) visits for outpatient treatment of mental illness. Effective immediately.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that "school personnel" who are mandated reporters of child abuse or neglect include administrators and both certified and non-certified school employees. Provides that any school board member who has actual knowledge that a child enrolled in the school district of which he or she is a board member is an abused child as defined in the Act shall immediately report that knowledge to DCFS or cause such a report to be made to DCFS. Provides that within one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act or within one year after becoming a mandated reporter, whichever is later, a person mandated to report suspected abuse or neglect under the Act must do one of the following: (1) read the requirements of the Act concerning mandated reporters, or read a document prepared by or approved by DCFS concerning child abuse and neglect and the making of reports under the Act; or (2) sign a statement, on a form prescribed by or approved by DCFS, to the effect that the person understands his or her responsibilities as a mandated reporter. Makes it a Class 4 felony to fail to make a report to DCFS after receiving 2 or more reports of the same act, incident, or occurrence of child abuse or neglect. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes changes concerning the school building code, school and district improvement plans, the waiver and modification of mandates, staff development plans, local learning objectives and assessments, statements of affairs, criminal history records checks of school district employees, the limitation on administrative costs, the State aid formula, school holidays, and transportation reimbursement claims. Repeals a Section concerning latch key reports and a Section concerning school and district improvement panels. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective July 1, 2006.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that an individual or entity that knowingly obtains, or knowingly assists another to obtain, a subcontract or written commitment for a subcontract under a contract with a governmental unit, by falsely representing that the individual or entity, or the individual or entity assisted, is a minority owned business, female owned business, or business owned by a person with a disability is guilty of a Class 2 felony. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning State's Attorneys' representation of the State in court proceedings.

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.

Amends the Counties Code, the Abuse Prevention Review Team Act, the Nursing Home Care Act, and the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Provides that all deaths in licensed long-term care facilities and all deaths in hospitals in cases in which the deceased had been transferred to the hospital from a long-term care facility within the preceding 5 days must be reported to the coroner of the county in which the facility is located; requires that the coroner be notified immediately (instead of promptly) in the case of certain deaths. Repeals a provision repealing the Abuse Prevention Review Team Act on July 1, 2006. Requires a nursing home to request a criminal history background check on all residents; requires a nursing home to fax a resident's name and criminal history information to the Department of Public Health if the resident is an identified offender. Requires the Department of Public Health to conduct an Identified Offender Risk Analysis with respect to a nursing home resident who is an identified offender. Authorizes the Director of Public Health to waive certain requirements concerning notice to nursing home residents, employees, and visitors that an identified offender is a resident of the nursing home. Deletes a requirement that a probation officer provide copies of certain reports to certain facilities and State agencies. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Encourages the General Assembly to promptly review and evaluate the Report on Waiver of School Code Mandates filed by the State Board of Education to determine if the Report should be disapproved in whole or in part.

Calls on the Illinois congressional delegation to take action to review and amend the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and urges the U.S. President and Congress to fully fund the requirements of the Act.