Sen. Sara Feigenholtz

Amends the School Code. Requires employees with a school district to authorize an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. Provides for confidentiality of the information. Provides for a criminal penalty for any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about an employee, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act to require employees of a facility who have any possible contact with children in the course of their duties, as a condition of such employment, to authorize an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. Provides for confidentiality of the information. Provides for a criminal penalty for any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about an employee, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to give the chief administrator of a hospital the access to information received pursuant to the Act.

Amends the Executive Reorganization Implementation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Vital Records Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning records of foreign births.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In provisions for a community care program of services to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of persons age 60 and older, provides that the Department on Aging's eligibility standards for the services must include a provision that, to be eligible for services, a person may not have assets totaling more than $20,000 if (i) the person is unmarried or (ii) the person is married and the person or the person's spouse meets certain criteria. Provides that if the person is married and the person's spouse does not receive community care services, the person may not have assets totaling more than the asset disregard amount used by the Department of Public Aid in determining eligibility for medical assistance under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Effective January 1, 2006.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning construction of the Code.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Re-enacts the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. The exemption was created by Public Act 88-669, which has been held to be unconstitutional as a violation of the single subject clause of the Illinois Constitution. Includes validation provisions. Effective immediately.

Congratulates the Reverend Stan J. Sloan on being a recipient of the 2006 Human Relations Award given by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act, the Foster Parent Law, the Child Care Act of 1969, the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Provides that DCFS must provide certain information concerning a child, including known social and behavioral information, to prospective adoptive parents (in addition to caretakers of children in foster homes, group homes, child care institutions, or relative homes). Provides that whenever a licensed child welfare agency places a child in a licensed foster family home, the agency shall provide that same information to the child's caretaker. Provides that a foster parent's rights include the right to be given such information. Provides that "juvenile authorities" to whom DCFS may disclose information include individuals and agencies having custody of a child pursuant to placement of the child by the Department; and provides that nothing in the Child Care Act of 1969 prevents the disclosure of information or records by a licensed child welfare agency as required by this amendatory Act. Provides that DCFS may revoke or refuse to renew a child welfare agency's license for failure to comply with the disclosure requirements of this amendatory Act. Permits a prospective adoptive parent or foster parent to have access to records concerning reports of child abuse and neglect. Authorizes the disclosure of records under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Abolishes local canvassing boards and provides that canvasses must be done by election authorities. Requires election authorities to transmit, by fax, e-mail, or other electronic means, a certificate of the results of the election to the State Board of Elections. Amends the Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941. Provides that recounts for the office of alderman in the City of Chicago must be filed and conducted in accordance with the Election Code (instead of within 5 days after the election).

Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. In provisions concerning the Illinois Seniors and Disabled Drug Coverage Program of pharmaceutical assistance to the aged and disabled, provides that for program beneficiaries who are not eligible for Medicare Part D coverage and who are (i) disabled and under age 65, or (ii) age 65 or older with incomes over 200% of the federal poverty level, or (iii) age 65 or older, with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, and not eligible for federally funded means-tested benefits due to immigration status, "covered prescription drug" includes any prescription drug for the treatment of HIV/AIDS or related conditions included in the formulary of the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program operated by the Department of Public Health. Effective immediately.