Legislative Update for February 19, 2007
The following are some of the more significant disability related bills filed in the General Assembly this session which are scheduled to be heard in committee during the week of February 19, 2007:
Senate Public Health Committee
February 21, 2007, 1:00 p.m.
Room 400, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
SB 4, chief sponsor, Senator Jeffrey M. Schoenberg
Creates the Illinois Stem Cell Initiative of 2007.
SB 6, chief sponsor, Senator Deanna Demuzio
Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) to reimburse psychiatrists for mental health services they provide, as authorized by Illinois law, to recipients via telepsychiatry under the Medicaid program. Requires DHFS to adopt rules establishing a method to reimburse providers for mental health services provided by telepsychiatry.
SB 15, chief sponsor, Senator Don Harmon
Creates the Postpartum Mood Disorders Prevention Act. Requires the Director of Public Health, in conjunction with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Board of Nursing, to work with physicians, healthcare facilities, nurses, and licensed health care workers in the State to develop policies and procedures related to the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of postpartum mood disorders in women.
SB 19, chief sponsor, Senator William R. Haine
Subject to appropriation, directs the Department of Public Health (DPH) to establish a statewide network of cord blood stem cell banks. Sets forth requirements and duties of donor banks. Creates an advisory committee to advise DPH concerning administration of the network.
Senate State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee
February 22, 2007, 1:00 p.m.
Room 409, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
SB 156, chief sponsor, Senator Susan Garrett
Requires the Department of Central Management Services, in cooperation with the Department of Human Services (DHS), to develop and implement plans to increase the number of individuals with a disability employed by State government. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in cooperation with DHS, to develop and implement a public awareness campaign designed to increase statewide awareness of issues that affect individuals with a disability. Requires DHS to establish procedures and adopt rules for the certification of employees and individuals with a disability with respect to certain tax credits set forth under the Illinois Income Tax Act. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to require that each notice of a contract contain a statement to encourage prospective vendors to hire individuals with a disability. Provides that a chief procurement officer may encourage prospective vendors to consider hiring individuals with a disability. Creates a tax credit for taxpayers who, during the taxable year, pay wages to an employee with a disability. Creates a tax credit for taxpayers who, during the taxable year, hire a net new qualified employee with a disability. Creates a tax credit for taxpayers who are qualified individuals with a disability.
Senate Education Committee
February 22, 2007, 2:30 p.m.
Room 212, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
SB 79, chief sponsor, Senator Susan Garrett
Requires that, in the development of the individualized education program (IEP) for a student who has a disability on the autism spectrum, the IEP team must consider and specifically address certain factors. Provides that consideration of these factors must result in the clarification of a school district's responsibility to deliver appropriate educational services for children with disabilities on the autism spectrum, but does not require or mandate any specific services.
NOTE: All House committee hearings scheduled for February 15, 16, and 17, 2007 were cancelled. The bills scheduled for hearing last week have been rescheduled for the week of February 19, 2007 as noted below: (See: Legislative Update dated 2-12-07 for bill descriptions)
House Health Care Availability and Access Committee
February 21, 2007, 3:30 p.m.
Room 118, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 148, HB 193, HB 209, HB 384, HB 385 (rescheduled from last week)
House Human Services Committee
February 22, 2007, 8:30 a.m.
Room D-1, Stratton Building
Springfield, IL
HB 138, HB 225, HB 368 (rescheduled from last week)
HB 462, chief sponsor, Representative Patricia R. Bellock
Identical to SB 6 (above)
HB 618, chief sponsor, Representative William B. Black
Provides for a minimum monthly personal needs allowance for institutionalized persons who are eligible for Medicaid. Requires the State to pay an amount in addition to the minimum monthly personal needs allowance authorized under the Social Security Act, so that the person's total monthly personal needs allowance from both State and federal sources equals $50. Requires the additional amount to be paid from amounts appropriated for that purpose from the Tobacco Settlement Recovery Fund.
HB 879, chief sponsor, Representative Lisa Dugan
In connection with Medicaid rates paid to nursing homes, provides that for facilities licensed by the Department of Public Health under the Nursing Home Care Act as Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled or Long Term Care for Under Age 22 facilities, the rates taking effect on July 1, 2007 must include a full 6% increase in the facilities' topline rates.
HB 945, chief sponsor, Representative Robert F. Flider
Provides for Medicaid eligibility, in the case of persons who are otherwise eligible for Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled but who fail to qualify for that assistance on the basis of need, if they are spouses living together in the same household and if their non-exempt assets are equal to or less than the same resource allowance established for a community spouse as set forth in the Social Security Act upon a division of community assets.
HB 1072, chief sponsor, Representative William Davis
Amends the Language Assistance Act. Makes changes in the list of things a health facility must do to ensure access to health care information and services for limited-English-speaking or non-English-speaking residents and deaf residents. Provides that a facility must do all (instead of one or more) of the following: (1) adopt and review annually a policy for providing language assistance services to patients with language or communication barriers; (2) develop and post notices that advise patients and their families of the availability of interpreters; and (3) notify the facility's employees of the language services available at the facility and train them on how to make these language services available to patients.
House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee
February 22, 2007, 8:30 a.m.
Room 114, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 146, HB 544 (rescheduled from last week)
HB 816, chief sponsor, Representative Elizabeth Coulson
Provides that when a child who is eligible for special education reaches the majority age of 18 years, rights accorded to the child's parents transfer to the child unless the child has been determined to be incompetent under State law or the child has not been determined to be incompetent, but does not have the ability to provide informed consent with respect to the child's educational program. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules establishing criteria for school districts to determine if a child lacks the ability to provide informed consent and uniform procedures for allowing the parents of the child, another adult caregiver, or another responsible adult to exercise rights on behalf of the child.
HB 817, chief sponsor, Representative Elizabeth Coulson
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. In the definition of "children with disabilities", provides that an eligible student who requires continued public school educational experience to facilitate his or her successful transition and integration into adult life is eligible for special education services through age 21, inclusive, which, for purposes of the Article, means the day before the student's 22nd birthday.
House Disability Services Committee
February 22, 2007, 4:00 p.m.
Room 115, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 226, HB 558, HB 694 (rescheduled from last week)
HB 17, chief sponsor, Representative Lou Lang
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that, based on an examination of a person admitted to a facility of the Department of Human Services (DHS), DHS shall (instead of may) provide necessary medical, education, and rehabilitation services and shall (instead of may) arrange for a further assessment and referral to appropriate alcoholism or substance abuse services. Provides that the assessment and referral shall be made to a provider who is able to accept the person for referral and perform a further assessment within a clinically appropriate time.
HB 785, chief sponsor, Representative Patricia R. Bellock
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Changes the content of the quarterly report that a mental hospital or facility administering electro-convulsive therapy must submit to include: (i) whether the patient gave informed consent or received therapy without informed consent, was confined as subject to involuntary admission, or received the therapy on an emergency basis; (ii) the type and charge dose of electro-convulsive treatments used; (iii) the identity of the treating hospital; (iv) if no patients have been treated using electro-convulsive therapy during that quarter, a written statement to that effect; and (v) for the first quarter report of each year, a copy of the informed consent used for electro-convulsive therapy, including any pamphlet or form information given to the patient on electro-convulsive therapy.
HB 909, chief sponsor, Representative Michael Tryon
Amends the Community Mental Health Act. Replaces the definition of "person with a developmental disability" with a definition of "developmental disability", and defines that term to mean a disability attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or autism or to any other condition that results in impairment similar to that caused by mental retardation and that requires services similar to those required by mentally retarded persons, not inconsistent with federal or State definitions. Adds definitions of "direct recipient services" and "mental illness". Defines "mental illness" to refer collectively to all mental health disorders which are health conditions characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress or impaired functioning, or both, not inconsistent with federal or State definitions.
House Appropriations - Human Services Committee
February 23, 2007, 8:00 a.m.
Room 114, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
This committee is not currently assigned to hear any legislation. However, based upon a flat FY 08 budget, this Committee will hold a subject matter hearing to receive testimony from advocates from the following agencies: Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department on Aging, Department of Public Health and the Department of Children and Family Services.
House Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee
February 23, 2007, 8:00 a.m.
Room D-1, Stratton Building
Springfield, IL
HB 808, chief sponsor, Representative Elizabeth Coulson
Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. In connection with the issuance of a license under the Act, requires that all employees (instead of only direct care staff) meet the requirements of the Health Care Worker Background Check Act.
House DCFS Oversight Committee
February 23, 2007, 8:30 a.m.
Room 114, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 191 (rescheduled from last week)
House Committee on Aging
February 23, 2007, 12:00 p.m.
Room 114, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 254 (rescheduled from last week)
HB 734, chief sponsor, Representative John E. Bradley
Amends the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act. Provides that in the case of a report of alleged or suspected abuse or neglect that places an eligible adult at risk of injury or death, a provider agency must respond to the report without delay and must ensure that it is capable of responding to such a report 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Provides that a provider agency may use an on-call system to respond to reports of alleged or suspected abuse or neglect after hours and on weekends.
House Veterans Affairs Committee
February 23, 2007, 12:00 p.m.
Room C-1, Stratton Building
Springfield, IL
HB 579, HB 670 (rescheduled from last week)
NOTE: If you wish to take any action regarding any of these bills, you may wish to attend the committee hearing and/or contact the sponsor(s) of the bill, the members of the committee hearing the bill, and/or the legislators in your home district. The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all legislators, both Representatives and Senators, can be found on the Illinois General Assembly website. You may also check this website to find out if any of the committee hearing dates or times have been changed (which may happen upon very short notice) and to read the full text of the bills.
