Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to reimburse advanced practice nurses for psychiatric services they provide, as authorized by Illinois law, to Medicaid recipients. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Creates the Task Force on Servicemember and Veterans Education. Sets forth the membership of the Task Force and the duties of the Task Force.
Creates the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program Act. Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program to increase the number of veterinarians practicing in designated veterinary resource shortage areas in the State by providing educational loan repayment assistance grants to veterinarians. Sets forth eligibility requirements under the Program and the service obligation required for assistance under the Program. Provides for the assessment of damages by the Department upon the failure of a recipient to fulfill the terms of the service obligation. Requires the Department to submit an annual report. Creates the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Amends the State Finance Act to establish the Fund. Effective July 1, 2008.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code in relation to medicare supplements. Provides that an issuer of Medicare supplement policies shall not deny coverage to a person under the age of 65 who meets certain criteria. Limits certain rates. Requires that all types of Medicare supplement policies available to persons over 65 years of age be made available to persons who become eligible for Medicare by reason of a disability.
Mourns the death of Ruth Zimmerman Eschbach.
Appropriates $2,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Natural Resources for the Asian carp reduction pilot project. Effective July 1, 2008.
Creates the Vince Demuzio Rural Broadband Initiative Act. Provides that the Broadband Deployment Council shall be responsible for implementing the Vince Demuzio Rural Broadband Deployment Initiative Act. Provides that the Broadband Deployment Council shall develop and implement a plan, modeled on a specified project, for expanding broadband Internet connection availability in 3 separate and specified regions in the State. Provides that the goal of the project shall be to double the extent of broadband access in specified regions within 3 years after the effective date of the Act. Provides that the Council shall submit to the General Assembly an annual report detailing its progress on the project herein mandated. Creates the Vince Demuzio Rural Broadband Fund within the State treasury and provides that the General Assembly shall appropriate money annually into the fund for use by the Broadband Deployment Council in the implementation of the Vince Demuzio Rural Broadband Initiative Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Service Occupation Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Requires that 28% of the tax proceeds under those Acts realized from the sale or transfer of coal be deposited to the Local Government Tax Fund, and provides that no amounts realized from the sale or transfer of coal be deposited into the County and Mass Transit District Fund. Amends the State Finance Act concerning the administration of the Local Government Tax Fund. Requires the Department of Revenue to certify the amount to be disbursed to a municipality or county that is realized from the 6.25% general rate on the selling price of coal. Limits the municipality's or county's use of that certified amount to certain economic-development purposes. Effective immediately.
Urges the U.S. Congress to pass legislation to eliminate both the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the provisions of the Social Security Act.
Amends the State Fair Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
