Sen. Neil Anderson

Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Contains provisions concerning the establishment of various programs and services for the benefit of veterans including a proactive outreach program for veterans that served in high casualty units, in units that experienced high conflict areas, and in units where at least one service member committed suicide following his or her service; a public awareness campaign concerning the trauma and internal injuries suffered by veterans; specified training concerning mental health services for employees of veterans service organizations, Veterans Assistance Commissions, and veterans' service associations; educational success programs for veterans experiencing specified difficulties in higher education; a family preparation course for the families of returning veterans; a licensing program for therapy dogs for veterans; a transition program for returning veterans that reside in the State; a system that allows veterans to file a specified federal form immediately upon discharge; creation of an employer training program; and a standard statewide peer-to-peer training program to familiarize veterans with the veterans' services available at the local, State, and federal levels. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to adopt any rules necessary to implement these provisions.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Adds families that are not recipients of benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and that need child care assistance to participate in education and training activities to the list of family categories that are covered under the child care assistance program. Deletes a provision: requiring the Department of Human Services to allocate $7,500,000 annually for a test program for families that are income-eligible for child care assistance, are not recipients of TANF, and need child care assistance to participate in education and training activities; and requiring the Department to specify the conditions of eligibility for the test program. Effective July 1, 2017.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Requires that to be illegal a drug analog must not be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or, if approved, it is not dispensed or possessed in accordance with State and federal law. Defines "controlled substance" to include a synthetic drug enumerated as a scheduled drug under the Act. Adds chemical structural classes of synthetic cannabinoids and piperazines to the list of Schedule I controlled substances. Includes certain substances approved by the FDA which are not dispensed or possessed in accordance with State or federal law and certain modified substances.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code and the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that a person shall not be appointed as the chief, the acting chief, the department head, or a position, by whatever title, that is responsible for day-to-day operations of a fire department or fire protection district for greater than 180 days unless he or she possesses: (1) Office of the State Fire Marshal Firefighter Basic Certification or Firefighter II Certification; Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Officer I and II Certifications; and an associate degree in fire science or a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college; or (2) a minimum of 10 years' experience as a firefighter at the fire department, or fire protection district, in the jurisdiction making the appointment. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Public Transportation Act, the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, the Use Tax Act, and the Service Use Tax Act. Beginning July 1, 2018, instead of use and occupation tax collections being deposited into the General Revenue Fund and then transferred monthly by the Comptroller from the General Revenue Fund to the Downstate Public Transportation Fund, requires the Department of Revenue to deposit the designated fraction of the net revenue realized from those collections directly into the Downstate Public Transportation Fund. Effective July 1, 2018.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that certain police officers and firefighters who participate in IMRF may be granted Sheriff's Law Enforcement Employee (SLEP) status with the approval of the employing municipality. The approval resolution must specify that SLEP status shall be applied to employment occurring on or after the adoption of the resolution. Provides that the resolution is irrevocable, but shall automatically terminate upon the establishment of an Article 3 or 4 fund by the municipality. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision relating to employer contributions from special trust and federal funds, provides that, beginning July 1, 2017, the rate, expressed as a percentage of salary, shall be equal to the total employer's normal cost, expressed as a percentage of payroll. Effective immediately.

Amends the Smoke Detector Act. Provides that the battery for specified battery powered smoke detectors must be a self-contained long term battery if specified conditions occur. Provides that specified battery requirements do not apply to fire alarms, smoke detectors, smoke alarms, or ancillary components electronically connected to specified alarm systems; that use a low-power radio frequency wireless communication signal; that uses Wi-Fi or other Wireless Local Area Networking capability to send and receive specified notifications; or to devices as designated by the State Fire Marshal. Provides that certain smoke detector requirements do not apply to dwelling units and hotels within municipalities with a population over 1,000,000 inhabitants. Effective January 1, 2018.

Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Allows a dental assistant, after being authorized by a dentist, to remove loose, broken, or irritating orthodontic appliances on a patient of record for the purpose of eliminating pain or discomfort. Provides that dental assistants who have undergone certain training may hold themselves out as expanded function dental assistants. Sets forth the training requirements for expanded function dental assistants and the services that may be provided. Provides that any procedure completed by an expanded function dental assistant must be approved by the supervising dentist and examined prior to dismissal of the patient. Sets forth certain limits on expanded function dental assistants.

Mourns the death of James J. Aitken of Rock Island.