Sen. Laura Fine

Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Provides that blind or disabled residents may fish with commercial fishing devices without holding a sports fishing license. Provides that veterans who, according to the determination of the federal Veterans' Administration as certified by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, are at least 10% disabled with service-related disabilities or in receipt of total disability pensions may fish with commercial fishing devices without holding a sports fishing license during those periods of the year that it is lawful to fish with commercial fishing devices, if the respective disabilities do not prevent them from fishing in a manner that is safe to themselves and others.

If and only if Senate Bill 26 of the 98th General Assembly becomes law, amends: the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 by making various changes concerning the composition and duties of and support to the working group created by the Act; and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code by providing that the creation of comparable programs for the services contained in the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 for community-based providers by the Division of Mental Health of the Department of Human Services shall be in concert with the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that if a person, corporation, or agent or officer of a corporation uses a post office box as a principal mailing address, service of process may be effectuated by having the person serving the process mail a copy of the process via both regular and certified mail. Provides that service of the process shall meet the requirements of the Code set forth in Sections concerning forms of process and persons authorized to serve process; place of service; and failure to make return. Provides that the person serving the process shall execute and submit an affidavit confirming that the person, corporation, or agent or officer of a corporation uses a post office box as a principal mailing address and that the person serving the process has served the process in accordance with the new provisions.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that any licensee disciplined under a licensure Act administered by the Division of Professional Regulation for an offense relating to the failure to pay taxes, child support, or student loans or relating to continuing education or advertising may file a petition with the Department on forms provided by the Department, along with the required fee of $200, to have the records of that offense removed from public view on the Department's website if certain conditions are met. Provides that nothing shall prohibit the Department from using a previous discipline for any regulatory purpose or from releasing records of a previous discipline upon request from law enforcement, other governmental body, or the public. Provides that removal of records of a disciplinary offense from the Department's website shall not be considered a vacating or expunging of the offense from the licensee's disciplinary record. Effective immediately.

Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. Makes changes to the qualifications for licensure as a clinical psychologist. Requires that an applicant for licensure be a graduate of a doctoral program in clinical, school, or counseling psychology either accredited by the American Psychological Association or the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System or approved by the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology or other national board (rather than accredited by the American Psychological Association or approved by the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology or other national board).

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning bullying prevention, prohibits a student from being subjected to bullying through the transmission of information from a computer that is accessed at a nonschool-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by a school district or school if the bullying substantially interferes with or limits the victim's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by a school or substantially disrupts the educational process or orderly operation of a school. Provides that the definition of bullying includes cyber-bullying; defines "cyber-bullying". Provides that a school district's or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school's policy on bullying shall include a process to investigate whether a reported act of bullying is within the scope of the district or school and, if not, a process for referral of such an act to the appropriate jurisdiction. Requires computers without web-filtering software or computers with web-filtering software that is disabled to be used when complaints of cyber-bullying are investigated. Effective immediately.

Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. Includes myoclonic-astatic epilepsy in the definition of "debilitating medical condition". Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules for the issuance of a registry identification card for qualifying patients who are under 18 years of age and suffering from myoclonic-astatic epilepsy.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county board may by ordinance adopt a code of conduct regarding the accountability, fiscal responsibility, procurement authority, transparency, and ethical conduct of county appointees in addition to those mandated by law for and applicable to the appointees of any unit of local government. Provides that appointees appointed by a county board chairman or county executive, with or without the consent of the county board, may be removed from office for violating the code of conduct by the county board chairman or county executive with concurrence by a majority vote of the county board. Requires that reasonable notice of the violation and a hearing before the county board or its designee shall be provided to the appointee prior to the vote. Provides that appointees appointed by the county board may be removed by a majority vote of the county board for violating the code of conduct after providing the appointee with reasonable notice of the violation and a hearing before the county board or its designee.

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Makes changes to a Section concerning physical fitness and professional growth. Defines "employee". Removes a requirement that new employees provide evidence of freedom from tuberculosis. Provides instead that a new or existing employee may be subject to additional health examinations, including screening for tuberculosis, as required by rules adopted by the Department of Public Health or by order of a local public health official. Provides that school boards may require employees (instead of teachers in their employ) to furnish evidence of continued professional growth. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.