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92_HB1302ham002 LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1302 2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 1302 by replacing 3 everything after the enacting clause with the following: 4 "Section 5. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by 5 changing 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 8 Department. In addition to powers and duties otherwise 9 provided by law, the Department shall have the following 10 powers and duties: 11 (1) To evaluate all programs, services, and facilities 12 for the aged and for minority senior citizens within the 13 State and determine the extent to which present public or 14 private programs, services and facilities meet the needs of 15 the aged. 16 (2) To coordinate and evaluate all programs, services, 17 and facilities for the Aging and for minority senior citizens 18 presently furnished by State agencies and make appropriate 19 recommendations regarding such services, programs and 20 facilities to the Governor and/or the General Assembly. 21 (3) To function as the sole State agency to develop a 22 comprehensive plan to meet the needs of the State's senior -2- LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 citizens and the State's minority senior citizens. 2 (4) To receive and disburse State and federal funds made 3 available directly to the Department including those funds 4 made available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior 5 Community Service Employment Program for providing services 6 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for 7 purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer 8 any State Plan for the Aging required by federal law. 9 (5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf 10 of the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or 11 property to the State of Illinois for services to senior 12 citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related 13 thereto. 14 (6) To provide consultation and assistance to 15 communities, area agencies on aging, and groups developing 16 local services for senior citizens and minority senior 17 citizens. 18 (7) To promote community education regarding the 19 problems of senior citizens and minority senior citizens 20 through institutes, publications, radio, television and the 21 local press. 22 (8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government 23 in studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of 24 senior citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare 25 programs and facilities to meet those needs. 26 (9) To establish and maintain information and referral 27 sources throughout the State when not provided by other 28 agencies. 29 (10) To provide the staff support as may reasonably be 30 required by the Council and the Coordinating Committee of 31 State Agencies Serving Older Persons. 32 (11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary 33 and proper to the performance of its duties. 34 (12) To establish and fund programs or projects or -3- LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 experimental facilities that are specially designed as 2 alternatives to institutional care. 3 (13) To develop a training program to train the 4 counselors presently employed by the Department's aging 5 network to provide Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and 6 advocacy in Medicare, private health insurance, and related 7 health care coverage plans. The Department shall report to 8 the General Assembly on the implementation of the training 9 program on or before December 1, 1986. 10 (14) To make a grant to an institution of higher 11 learning to study the feasibility of establishing and 12 implementing an affirmative action employment plan for the 13 recruitment, hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or 14 more years old for jobs for which their employment would not 15 be precluded by law. 16 (15) To present one award annually in each of the 17 categories of community service, education, the performance 18 and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois 19 senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition 20 of their individual contributions to either community 21 service, education, the performance and graphic arts, or the 22 labor force. The awards shall be presented to four senior 23 citizens and minority senior citizens selected from a list of 24 44 nominees compiled annually by the Department. Nominations 25 shall be solicited from senior citizens' service providers, 26 area agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior 27 citizens' organizations. The Department shall consult with 28 the Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older 29 Persons to determine which of the nominees shall be the 30 recipient in each category of community service. The 31 Department shall establish a central location within the 32 State to be designated as the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame 33 for the public display of all the annual awards, or replicas 34 thereof. -4- LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 (16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through 2 area agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing 3 multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging, 4 the establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the 5 State as the Department shall designate by rule and as 6 specifically appropriated funds become available. 7 (17) To develop the content and format of the 8 acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans 9 under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide 10 independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and 11 alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent 12 counseling services with expertise in reverse mortgages. 13 (18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which 14 may be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in 15 all of its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 16 1987, pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice 17 Act and Illinois residents 65 years of age or older for the 18 purpose of assisting physicians, pharmacists, and patients in 19 monitoring prescriptions provided by various physicians and 20 to aid persons 65 years of age or older in complying with 21 directions for proper use of pharmaceutical prescriptions. 22 The pamphlet may provide space for recording information 23 including but not limited to the following: 24 (a) name and telephone number of the patient; 25 (b) name and telephone number of the prescribing 26 physician; 27 (c) date of prescription; 28 (d) name of drug prescribed; 29 (e) directions for patient compliance; and 30 (f) name and telephone number of dispensing 31 pharmacy. 32 In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult 33 with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for 34 Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists -5- LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 Association and senior citizens organizations. The 2 Department shall distribute the pamphlets to physicians, 3 pharmacists and persons 65 years of age or older or various 4 senior citizen organizations throughout the State. 5 (19) To conduct a study by April 1, 1994 of the 6 feasibility of implementing the Senior Companion Program 7 throughout the State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 8 1994. 9 (20) With respect to contracts in effect on July 1, 10 1994, the Department shall increase the grant amounts so that 11 the reimbursement rates paid through the community care 12 program for chore housekeeping services and homemakers are at 13 the same rate, which shall be the higher of the 2 rates 14 currently paid. With respect to all contracts entered into, 15 renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 1994, the 16 reimbursement rates paid through the community care program 17 for chore housekeeping services and homemakers shall be the 18 same. 19 (21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the 20 Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury 21 that is hereby created, and in accordance with State and 22 federal guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to 23 make grants to area agencies on aging, designated by the 24 Department, for the sole purpose of delivering meals to 25 homebound persons 60 years of age and older. 26 (21.1) Beginning July 1, 2001, to distribute any new 27 funds to the area agencies on aging, with the exception of 28 legislatively directed programs requiring funding at a 29 designated level for a defined target population, according 30 to the intrastate funding formula. 31 (22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging, 32 information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding 33 emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and 34 cold, flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other -6- LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 severe storm weather. The information shall include all 2 necessary instructions for safety and all emergency telephone 3 numbers of organizations that will provide additional 4 information and assistance. 5 (23) To develop guidelines for the organization and 6 implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be 7 administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based 8 senior service organizations. The Department shall hold 9 public hearings on the proposed guidelines for public 10 comment, suggestion, and determination of public interest. 11 The guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states 12 and of community organizations in Illinois that are currently 13 operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration 14 volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall 15 offer guidelines for all aspects of the programs including, 16 but not limited to, the following: 17 (a) types of services to be offered by volunteers; 18 (b) types of services to be received upon the 19 redemption of service credits; 20 (c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the 21 administering organizations; 22 (d) methods of tracking service credits earned and 23 service credits redeemed; 24 (e) issues of time limits for redemption of service 25 credits; 26 (f) methods of recruitment of volunteers; 27 (g) utilization of community volunteers, community 28 service groups, and other resources for delivering 29 services to be received by service credit program 30 clients; 31 (h) accountability and assurance that services will 32 be available to individuals who have earned service 33 credits; and 34 (i) volunteer screening and qualifications. -7- LRB9204732JMmbam02 1 The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines 2 to the General Assembly by July 1, 1998. 3 (Source: P.A. 89-249, eff. 8-4-95; 89-580, eff. 1-1-97; 4 90-251, eff. 1-1-98.) 5 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 6 becoming law.".