Sen. Deanna Demuzio

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 School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to develop an agricultural education teacher training continuum and to provide incentive funding grants to the agriculture education teacher education programs located at Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University, the University of Illinois, and Western Illinois University. Provides that public community colleges in this State that provide an articulated agriculture education teacher education course of study are also eligible for funding. Sets forth the types of activities for which funds may be used.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that public notice of the schedule of regular meetings of a board of trustees for the next calendar year, as set at the organizational meeting of the board of trustees, must be given at the beginning of that calendar year. Effective July 1, 2007.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Fund in the State treasury. Provides for the issuance of Agriculture in the Classroom license plates. Provides that in addition to the appropriate registration fees, an applicant for the special plate shall be charged a fee of $40 at original issuance and $27 renewal in subsequent years. Provides that $25 of the additional original issuance fee and the renewal fee shall be deposited into the Agriculture in the Classroom Fund. Provides that $15 of the original issuance fee and $2 of the renewal fee shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. Provides that, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and approval by the Secretary of State, all moneys in the Agriculture in the Classroom Fund shall be paid as grants to the Illinois Agricultural Association Foundation to support Agriculture in the Classroom programming for schools. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund shall establish the maximum amount of reinsurance available per residence, commercial building, and living unit for mine subsidence insurance. Provides that, for all policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2008, the reinsured loss per residence, per commercial building, and per living unit shall be the amounts established by the Fund and approved by the Director (now, the reinsured loss shall not exceed $350,000 per residence, $350,000 per commercial building, or $15,000 per living unit).

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 Public Community College Act. Provides that for all meetings of a board of trustees, a quorum of members must be physically present at the location of the meeting. Effective July 1, 2007.

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).