Sen. Linda Holmes

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that the court may include in the order of protection granting the petitioner the exclusive care, custody, or control of any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by either the petitioner or the respondent or a minor child residing in the residence or household of either the petitioner or the respondent and ordering the respondent to stay away from the animal and forbidding the respondent from taking, transferring, encumbering, concealing, harming, or otherwise disposing of the animal.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, beginning on the effective date, legally adopted children shall be entitled to the same benefits as other children, and no child's or survivor's benefit shall be disallowed because the child is an adopted child. Makes related changes throughout the Code. Includes language exempting any benefit increase as a result from the new benefit increase provisions in the General Assembly, State Employees, State Universities, and Judges Articles of the Code. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act. Provides that every insurer shall provide, in each group or individual policy, contract, or certificate of accident or health insurance issued or renewed for persons who are residents of Illinois, coverage for a complete and thorough physical examination of the breast, including but not limited to a comprehensive clinical breast examination of 6-10 minutes in length (that is, an examination of 3-5 minutes in length for each breast), performed by a health care provider to check for lumps and other changes for the purpose of early detection and prevention of breast cancer as follows: (1) annually for women 18 years of age and older; and (2) at any time at the recommendation of the woman's health care provider. Provides that every insurer must establish a separate and distinct reimbursement code for comprehensive clinical breast examinations of 6-10 minutes in length. Makes these provisions applicable to health maintenance organizations and health services plan corporations. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act and the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force. Sets out the composition of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall develop a plan for expanding and supporting a State local and organic food system and for assessing and overcoming obstacles to an increase in locally grown food and local organic food production. Sets out the contents of the plan. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Local Organic Food and Farm Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Permits a 5% preference to be given to bidders who will use biobased products, except CDB construction contracts.

Creates the Prescribed Burning Act. Allows for the prescribed burning of certain land under specified circumstances when approved by a certified prescribed burn manager. Provides that no property owner or his agent, conducting a prescribed burn pursuant to the requirements of the Act, shall be liable for damage or injury caused by fire or resulting smoke, unless gross negligence is proven or unless conducted without the approval of a prescribed burn manager. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with the Office of the State Fire Marshall, shall promulgate rules to implement the Act. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed as requiring certification as a prescribed burn manager to conduct prescribed burning on one's own property or on the lands of another with the landowner's permission. Effective immediately.

Amends the Personnel Code. Grants a State employee subject to the Code who is a veteran 4 days of leave per year (in addition to any currently available sick leave) to visit a veterans hospital for examination of a military service-connected disability (now, 2 days per year).

Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Changes the repeal date of provisions creating the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund from December 31, 2007 to December 31, 2013. Effective immediately.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that reports of suspected child abuse or neglect made to the central register through the State-wide, toll-free telephone number shall be immediately transmitted to the appropriate local law enforcement agency. Provides that all oral reports made by the Department of Children and Family Services to local law enforcement personnel and the office of the State's Attorney of the involved county shall be confirmed in writing within 24 (instead of 48) hours of the oral report. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules expressly allowing law enforcement personnel to investigate reports of suspected child abuse or neglect concurrently with the Department, without regard to whether the Department determines a report to be "indicated" or "unfounded" or deems a report to be "undetermined". Effective immediately.

Creates the Employee Classification Act. Provides that an individual performing services for a contractor is deemed to be an employee of the employer. Provides that an individual performing services for a contractor is deemed to be an employee of the contractor unless it is shown that: (1) the individual has been and will continue to be free from control or direction over the performance of the service for the contractor, both under the individual's contract of service and in fact; (2) the service performed by the individual is outside the usual course of services performed by the contractor; and (3) the individual is engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business; or (4) the individual is deemed a legitimate sole proprietor or partnership. Provides that subcontractors or lower tiered contractors are subject to all provisions of the Act. Provides that he Department of Labor shall post a summary of the requirements of this Act in English, Spanish, and Polish on its official web site and on bulletin boards in each of its offices. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for an employer or entity not to designate an individual as an employee under the Act unless the employer or entity satisfies the provisions of the Act. Provides for civil remedies and civil penalties. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2008.