Amends the Public Community College Act. Creates the Accelerate College pilot program. Authorizes a community college district board of trustees to enter into an Accelerate College educational partnership agreement with any school district wholly contained within the community college district's jurisdiction. Provides that an agreement must offer a group of high school students the right to take community college courses without paying tuition for those courses. Provides for the size of the program. Allows community colleges to charge fees limited to the actual operating costs and related student activities. Provides that any coursework completed by high school students in a community college shall be transferrable to all public universities in this State on the same basis as coursework completed by community college students who have previously earned high school diplomas. Requires the Illinois Community College Board to study the effectiveness of the program and to issue an annual report. Repeals the provisions 36 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the School Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Environmental Justice Act. Provides that the Commission on Environmental Justice shall review any state implementation plan to comply with the United States Environmental Protection Agency Clean Power Plan and provide comments to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency before submittal to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall respond to the comments and make modifications to the plan in response. Makes changes to the membership of the Commission. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Comptroller Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Designates April 12, 2016 as Pay Equity Day in the State of Illinois.
Amends the General Assembly Organization Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the deposit of books, bills, documents, and papers with the Secretary of State.
Mourns the death of Helen Ernell Clouden.
Amends the School Code. In provisions requiring a criminal history records check to be performed with regard to applicants for employment with a school district or non-public school and whether those applicants may be employed, makes changes concerning the types of convictions checked for and when those convictions occurred. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for revocation of an educator license, changes the definitions of "narcotics offense" and "sex offense". Effective immediately.
Amends the Cannabis Control Act. Provides that the knowing possession of not more than 30 grams of any substance containing cannabis is a petty offense charged by a Uniform Cannabis Ticket with a fine of $100 (rather than a Class C misdemeanor for 2.5 grams or less, a Class B misdemeanor for more than 2.5 grams to 10 grams, and a Class A misdemeanor for more than 10 grams to 30 grams). Provides that knowing possession of more than 30 grams but not more than 500 grams of any substance containing cannabis is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense (rather than a Class 4 felony) and a Class 4 felony for a subsequent offense (rather than a Class 3 felony). Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Establishes procedures concerning the Uniform Cannabis Ticket.
Amends the Urban Weatherization Initiative Act. Provides that the efforts of the Urban Weatherization Initiative shall be coordinated with federal weatherization programs. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to administer the Initiative so as to qualify for federal grant or matching programs. Provides the salary of employees hired under the Initiative in accordance with the hourly wages associated with the federal prevailing wage rates for weatherization workers. Provides that the maximum per unit expenditure is limited to $10,000 (currently $6,500) and that a grant recipient may not be awarded grants totaling more than $2,000,000 (currently $500,000) per fiscal year. Provides that 2 voting members of the Weatherization Initiative Board must have experience in residential weatherization or energy efficiency and that one voting member must have experience in workforce development. Requires the Board's annual report to be filed by May 31 (instead of December 31).
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code and the Illinois Public Aid Code. With regard to the respective requirements concerning coverage and payment for screening by low-dose mammography for all women 35 years of age or older for the presence of occult breast cancer, includes a screening MRI when medically necessary, as determined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, and if the American Cancer Society's guidelines for appropriate use for women at high risk for breast cancer are met. Further amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that on and after January 1, 2016, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall ensure that all networks of care for adult clients of the Department include access to at least one breast imaging Center of Imaging Excellence as certified by the American College of Radiology. Provides that on and after January 1, 2017, providers participating in a breast cancer treatment quality improvement program approved by the Department shall be reimbursed for breast cancer treatment at a rate that is no lower than 95% of the Medicare program's rates for the data elements included in the breast cancer treatment quality program. Makes changes concerning the case-managing and patient navigation pilot program. Sets forth provisions concerning departmental requirements for networks of care. Provides that on and after January 1, 2016, the Department shall ensure that provider and hospital reimbursement for certain required post-mastectomy care benefits are no lower than the Medicare reimbursement rate. Provides that on and after January 1, 2016 and subject to funding availability, the Department shall administer a grant program to build the public infrastructure for breast cancer imaging and diagnostic services across the State. Effective immediately.