Sen. Pat McGuire

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Emergency Medical Air Transportation Act. Creates the Emergency Medical Air Transportation Act Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Fund shall be administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and that moneys in the Fund shall be made available to the Department upon appropriation to: (i) offset the State portion of the Medicaid reimbursement rate for emergency medical air transportation services; (ii) augment emergency medical air transportation reimbursement payments made through the Medicaid program; and (iii) pay administrative costs associated with administering the Act. Requires the Department to seek federal matching funds by using the moneys in the Fund for the purpose of augmenting Medicaid reimbursement paid to emergency medical air transportation providers. Provides that the Fund is not subject to sweeps, administrative charge-backs, or any other fiscal or budgetary maneuver that would in any way transfer any amount from the Emergency Medical Air Transportation Act Fund into any other fund of the State. Requires the Director of the Department to: (1) meet with medical air transportation providers, by March 1, 2017, to determine the most appropriate methodology to distribute the funds for medical air services; (2) submit any State plan amendments or waiver requests that may be necessary to implement the Fund; and (3) other duties. Provides that upon appropriation, the Department shall use moneys in the Fund and any federal matching funds to increase the Medicaid reimbursement for emergency medical air transportation services in an amount not to exceed normal and customary charges charged by the providers; and other matters. Amends the State Finance Act by creating the Emergency Medical Air Transportation Act Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning making rules and regulations.

Mourns the death of Ronald J. Kozlowski of Bolingbrook.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Pollution Control Board.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes an addition to the definition of a "medical examiner" or "medical practitioner" to include a licensed optometrist for the purpose of certifying vision fitness to operate a motor vehicle.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules requiring each institution and facility of the Department to permit a committed person to be examined by a physician or clinical psychologist chosen by the committed person or his or her guardian, if the institution or facility determines that the examination would not be harmful or dangerous to the security or safety of the committed person or other persons in the institution or facility. Provides that nothing in this provision shall be construed to create a right of any committed person, who cannot afford the examination or obtain the examination without charge, to any assistance from the Department, financial or otherwise, in obtaining or paying for the examination. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a driver of a vehicle approaching a disabled vehicle on a highway of at least 4 lanes, of which at least 2 are proceeding in the same direction, shall, proceeding with due caution, make a lane change into a lane not adjacent to the disabled vehicle or, if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe, reduce the speed of the vehicle and maintain a safe speed for the road conditions. Provides that a violation of this provision shall be a business offense punishable by a $100 fine.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning reimbursement for a Board member's expenses.