97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5286

 

Introduced 2/8/2012, by Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 105/4.01  from Ch. 23, par. 6104.01

    Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that the Department on Aging shall have the power to determine fees for Departmental conferences, trainings, and programs to offset costs. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5286LRB097 19881 KTG 65165 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by
5changing Section 4.01 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 105/4.01)  (from Ch. 23, par. 6104.01)
7    Sec. 4.01. Additional powers and duties of the Department.
8In addition to powers and duties otherwise provided by law, the
9Department shall have the following powers and duties:
10    (1) To evaluate all programs, services, and facilities for
11the aged and for minority senior citizens within the State and
12determine the extent to which present public or private
13programs, services and facilities meet the needs of the aged.
14    (2) To coordinate and evaluate all programs, services, and
15facilities for the Aging and for minority senior citizens
16presently furnished by State agencies and make appropriate
17recommendations regarding such services, programs and
18facilities to the Governor and/or the General Assembly.
19    (3) To function as the sole State agency to develop a
20comprehensive plan to meet the needs of the State's senior
21citizens and the State's minority senior citizens.
22    (4) To receive and disburse State and federal funds made
23available directly to the Department including those funds made

 

 

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1available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior
2Community Service Employment Program for providing services
3for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for
4purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer any
5State Plan for the Aging required by federal law.
6    (5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf of
7the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or
8property to the State of Illinois for services to senior
9citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related
10thereto.
11    (6) To provide consultation and assistance to communities,
12area agencies on aging, and groups developing local services
13for senior citizens and minority senior citizens.
14    (7) To promote community education regarding the problems
15of senior citizens and minority senior citizens through
16institutes, publications, radio, television and the local
17press.
18    (8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government in
19studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of senior
20citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare programs
21and facilities to meet those needs.
22    (9) To establish and maintain information and referral
23sources throughout the State when not provided by other
24agencies.
25    (10) To provide the staff support that may reasonably be
26required by the Council.

 

 

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1    (11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary
2and proper to the performance of its duties.
3    (12) To establish and fund programs or projects or
4experimental facilities that are specially designed as
5alternatives to institutional care.
6    (13) To develop a training program to train the counselors
7presently employed by the Department's aging network to provide
8Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and advocacy in
9Medicare, private health insurance, and related health care
10coverage plans. The Department shall report to the General
11Assembly on the implementation of the training program on or
12before December 1, 1986.
13    (14) To make a grant to an institution of higher learning
14to study the feasibility of establishing and implementing an
15affirmative action employment plan for the recruitment,
16hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or more years old
17for jobs for which their employment would not be precluded by
18law.
19    (15) To present one award annually in each of the
20categories of community service, education, the performance
21and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois
22senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition of
23their individual contributions to either community service,
24education, the performance and graphic arts, or the labor
25force. The awards shall be presented to 4 senior citizens and
26minority senior citizens selected from a list of 44 nominees

 

 

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1compiled annually by the Department. Nominations shall be
2solicited from senior citizens' service providers, area
3agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior
4citizens' organizations. The Department shall establish a
5central location within the State to be designated as the
6Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame for the public display of all
7the annual awards, or replicas thereof.
8    (16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through area
9agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing
10multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging, the
11establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the State
12as the Department shall designate by rule and as specifically
13appropriated funds become available.
14    (17) To develop the content and format of the
15acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans
16under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide
17independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and
18alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent counseling
19services with expertise in reverse mortgages.
20    (18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which may
21be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of
22its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987,
23pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice Act, and
24Illinois residents 65 years of age or older for the purpose of
25assisting physicians, pharmacists, and patients in monitoring
26prescriptions provided by various physicians and to aid persons

 

 

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165 years of age or older in complying with directions for
2proper use of pharmaceutical prescriptions. The pamphlet may
3provide space for recording information including but not
4limited to the following:
5        (a) name and telephone number of the patient;
6        (b) name and telephone number of the prescribing
7    physician;
8        (c) date of prescription;
9        (d) name of drug prescribed;
10        (e) directions for patient compliance; and
11        (f) name and telephone number of dispensing pharmacy.
12    In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult
13with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for
14Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists Association
15and senior citizens organizations. The Department shall
16distribute the pamphlets to physicians, pharmacists and
17persons 65 years of age or older or various senior citizen
18organizations throughout the State.
19    (19) To conduct a study of the feasibility of implementing
20the Senior Companion Program throughout the State.
21    (20) The reimbursement rates paid through the community
22care program for chore housekeeping services and home care
23aides shall be the same.
24    (21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the
25Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury that
26is hereby created, and in accordance with State and federal

 

 

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1guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to make grants
2to area agencies on aging, designated by the Department, for
3the sole purpose of delivering meals to homebound persons 60
4years of age and older.
5    (22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging,
6information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding
7emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold,
8flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other severe storm
9weather. The information shall include all necessary
10instructions for safety and all emergency telephone numbers of
11organizations that will provide additional information and
12assistance.
13    (23) To develop guidelines for the organization and
14implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be
15administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based
16senior service organizations. The Department shall hold public
17hearings on the proposed guidelines for public comment,
18suggestion, and determination of public interest. The
19guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states and
20of community organizations in Illinois that are currently
21operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration
22volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall offer
23guidelines for all aspects of the programs including, but not
24limited to, the following:
25        (a) types of services to be offered by volunteers;
26        (b) types of services to be received upon the

 

 

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1    redemption of service credits;
2        (c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the
3    administering organizations;
4        (d) methods of tracking service credits earned and
5    service credits redeemed;
6        (e) issues of time limits for redemption of service
7    credits;
8        (f) methods of recruitment of volunteers;
9        (g) utilization of community volunteers, community
10    service groups, and other resources for delivering
11    services to be received by service credit program clients;
12        (h) accountability and assurance that services will be
13    available to individuals who have earned service credits;
14    and
15        (i) volunteer screening and qualifications.
16The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines to
17the General Assembly by July 1, 1998.
18    (24) To determine fees for Departmental conferences,
19trainings, and programs to offset costs.
20(Source: P.A. 95-298, eff. 8-20-07; 95-689, eff. 10-29-07;
2195-876, eff. 8-21-08; 96-918, eff. 6-9-10.)
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
23becoming law.