Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Defines a health care provider as a person licensed or authorized to deliver health care services. Effective immediately.
Urges the United States Congress to enact legislation to implement health care liability reforms.
Makes legislative findings. Amends the Open Meetings Act, Counties Code, and the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides for creation of risk retention trusts for the pooling of risks to provide professional liability coverage for its physicians and health care professionals providing medical care and related health care. Authorizes a county board to incur indebtedness to ensure the availability of and improve hospital, medical, and health services. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to extend the repeal of the Medical Practice Act of 1987 to 2016. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Makes numerous changes concerning medical liability insurance rates and regulation. Requires the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation to establish a Professional Liability Insurance Resource Center on the World Wide Web, and amends the Clerks of Courts Act to require court clerks to provide certain relevant information. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Makes changes concerning medical coordinators, investigators, discipline, disciplinary proceedings, records, disclosure of information, incidents to which the Act applies, and immunity. Amends the Health Care Arbitration Act by making changes concerning distribution, validity, and cancellation of a health care arbitration agreement and making various other changes. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure by: making changes concerning extension of the period for naming a respondent in discovery as a defendant, jury instructions in healing art malpractice actions, the affidavit and report based on the determination of a reviewing health professional, and the amount of the recovery in healing art malpractice actions; limiting liability of a hospital for the medical care provided by a non-employee member of the hospital's medical staff; contingent fees in medical malpractice actions and standards for damages; providing that a statement that a health care provider is "sorry" for an outcome is not admissible as evidence under specified circumstances; changing and adding provisions concerning expert witness standards and guaranteed payment of future medical expenses; and making other changes. Repeals numerous provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure concerning medical malpractice actions. Amends the Illinois Good Samaritan Act. Expands the immunity for civil damages provided for services performed (i) without compensation at, or upon referral from, free medical clinics and (ii) by retired physicians pursuant to an emergency department on call list. Makes other changes. Creates the Sorry Works! Pilot Program Act under which participating hospitals and physicians shall promptly acknowledge and apologize for mistakes in patient care and promptly offer fair settlements. Creates a committee to develop, oversee, and implement the program and specifies the committee's membership. Creates the Sorry Works! Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and amends the State Finance Act to include the Sorry Works! Fund as a special fund. Contains provisions concerning applicability and construction. Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that, if a judge in a civil case has received campaign contributions from any party or the attorney of any party in the case, the judge shall disclose to all of the parties and the attorneys for the parties the fact that a campaign contribution has been made to the judge and the party or attorney who made the contribution.
Urges the United States Congress to pass legislation calling for federal approval of extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Disapproves the 2006 report of the Compensation Review Board.
Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that it is unlawful to intentionally or wantonly allow a dog to hunt, within or upon the land of another, or upon waters flowing over or standing on the land of another, without first obtaining permission from the owner or tenant. Provides that it is unlawful to intentionally or wantonly allow a dog to hunt within 300 yards of an inhabited dwelling, without first obtaining permission from the owner or tenant.
Creates the Wooded Land Assessment Task Force concerning the assessment of wooded land and property under forestry management programs. Urges the Department of Revenue to accept the reduced valuation of certain wooded land for the 2006 and 2007 taxable years.
Amends the State Finance Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the State Pensions Fund.
Death Resolution for Senator Ralph Dunn
