Politics & Government

Illinois Senate Week In Review: May 9 - 13

Here's what happened in Springfield this week.

from the office of Sen. Ron Sandack

Some of the legislation advanced by Senate committees this week includes:

Bus Driver Drug Test (HB 147): Requires that when a test for drugs or alcohol is performed on a school bus driver and the test finds that the driver has alcohol or illegal drugs in their system, the results must be reported to the Secretary of State within 48 hours. Cancer Treatment (HB 1825): Requires insurance plans that provide coverage for oral cancer medications and intravenous cancer medications to cover oral medications at the same benefit cost as intravenous medications. Charter Schools (HB 190): Designates at least five of Chicago’s charter schools must be devoted exclusively to students from low-performing or overcrowded schools in the City, and gives them permissions to restrict admission for this purpose. Child Pornography (HB 3283): Enhances the penalty for making or possessing child pornography films and video. Education Changes (HB 3022): Makes a number of substantive and technical changes in the school code, including establishing that state interventions for failing schools be subject to appropriation; requires student teachers to be fingerprinted and checked on the statewide sex offender database before teaching in a nonpublic school; requires criminal background checks on school employees also include checking the statewide Child Murder and Violent Offender Against Youth database; mandates student teachers in public schools must submit to a state and FBI fingerprint-based criminal background check; and deletes several of the Illinois State Board of Education’s reports to the General Assembly. EPA Permit Streamline (HB 1297): Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to make all permit applications available online within two years, to streamline the application process and reduce the permit backlog.

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Expelled Students (HB 2086): States that an expelled or suspended pupil may be immediately transferred to an alternative program, unless there is a threat to the safety of students or staff in the alternative program, and stipulates that a pupil must not be denied transfer because of the expulsion.

Legislative Scholarship (HB 1353): Prohibits relatives of a legislator from eligibility to receive that lawmaker’s General Assembly Tuition Waiver.

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Nurse Licensure Compact (SB 1305): Adopts the Nurse Licensure Compact in Illinois to allow Illinois to participate in a comprehensive, national database that is intended to facilitate the sharing of nursing licensure, investigative and disciplinary action information.

Military Fee Exemption (HB 3172): Eliminates the fees registration fee, for U.S. Marine Corps, Paratrooper, Korean Service, Iraq Campaign, Afghanistan Campaign, U.S. Navy, Distinguished Flying Cross, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Women Veteran special license plates.

Murder Database (HB 263): Creates a Statewide First Degree Murderer Database for persons convicted of first degree murder who have been released from a penal institution or other facility after the completion of their sentence. Offenders must register for a period of 10 years following release.

Open Meetings (HB 3131): Requires a public body that is holding a meeting to make a public notice available for the entire 48 hours preceding the meeting and also provide a sufficiently descriptive meeting agenda.

Public Private Partnership for Transportation (HB 1091): Authorizes a transportation agency to enter into a public private partnership with one or more private entities to develop, finance, and operate any part of one or more transportation projects.

Student Athlete (HB 1197):  Requires that a student athlete with a suspected concussion must receive clearance from a physician, advanced nurse, or physician's assistant before he or she may return to play.

University Reporting (HB 1079):  Requires each state university to report annually to IBHE the following: programs of instruction that have been terminated, dissolved, reduced, or consolidated; all programs of instruction, research, or public service that exhibit a trend of low performance in enrollments and degree completions, and high expense per degree; tuition increases for the upcoming academic year; and any cost-saving measures undertaken during the previous fiscal year. 

Vaccinations (HB 1707):  Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to publish on its Web site information about the benefits of immunization against vaccine preventable diseases, including influenza and pertussis, and the information must include incidence and severity of diseases, availability of vaccines, and the importance of immunizing children and those in frequent close contacts with children.


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