Public Act 094-0602
 
HB0395 Enrolled LRB094 06840 AJO 36946 b

    AN ACT concerning public health.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and
Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
amended by adding Section 2310-612 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-612 new)
    Sec. 2310-612. Blindness prevention grants.
    (a) From funds appropriated from the Blindness Prevention
Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury, the
Department must make grants to charitable or educational
entities in Illinois for the purpose of funding (i) public
education on the importance of eye care and the prevention of
blindness and (ii) the provision of eye care to children,
senior citizens, and other needy individuals whose needs are
not covered by any other source of funds.
    (b) Grants under this Section must be awarded on both a
statewide and regional basis, taking into consideration each
region's contributions to the Fund. At least 25% of the grants
must be made to regional grantees.
    (c) A grant under this Section shall be made for a period
of one year and, subject to the availability of funds, may be
renewed by the Department.
    (d) The Department must create an advisory committee to
make recommendations to the Department concerning grant
proposals. The advisory committee shall consist of one
representative from the Illinois Society for the Prevention of
Blindness, one licensed doctor of optometry, one member of the
Gateway Lions & Partners, one optometric educator from a school
of optometry located within Illinois, and one member from the
general public. Members of the advisory committee may not
receive compensation or reimbursement for their services.
Members of the committee must recuse themselves from
consideration of any grant proposals submitted by any entity
from which they were appointed.
    (e) The Department must adopt any rules necessary to
implement and administer this Section, including, without
limitation, a methodology for determining regions of the State.
 
    Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.640 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 105/5.640 new)
    Sec. 5.640. The Blindness Prevention Fund.
 
    Section 15. The Illinois Income Tax Act is amended by
adding Section 507EE and amending Sections 509 and 510 as
follows:
 
    (35 ILCS 5/507EE new)
    Sec. 507EE. Blindness Prevention Fund checkoff. For
taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2005, the
Department shall print on its standard individual income tax
form a provision indicating that if the taxpayer wishes to
contribute to the Blindness Prevention Fund, as authorized by
this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, he or she may
do so by stating the amount of the contribution (not less than
$1) on the return and that the contribution will reduce the
taxpayer's refund or increase the amount of payment to
accompany the return. Failure to remit any amount of increased
payment shall reduce the contribution accordingly. This
Section shall not apply to any amended return.
 
    (35 ILCS 5/509)  (from Ch. 120, par. 5-509)
    Sec. 509. Tax checkoff explanations. All individual income
tax return forms shall contain appropriate explanations and
spaces to enable the taxpayers to designate contributions to
the following funds: the Child Abuse Prevention Fund, the
Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund (as required by the
Illinois Non-Game Wildlife Protection Act), the Alzheimer's
Disease Research Fund (as required by the Alzheimer's Disease
Research Act), the Assistance to the Homeless Fund (as required
by this Act), the Penny Severns Breast and Cervical Cancer
Research Fund, the National World War II Memorial Fund, the
Prostate Cancer Research Fund, the Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)
Research Fund, the Multiple Sclerosis Assistance Fund, the
Leukemia Treatment and Education Fund, the World War II
Illinois Veterans Memorial Fund, the Korean War Veterans
National Museum and Library Fund, the Illinois Military Family
Relief Fund, the Blindness Prevention Fund, the Illinois
Veterans' Homes Fund, and the Asthma and Lung Research Fund.
    Each form shall contain a statement that the contributions
will reduce the taxpayer's refund or increase the amount of
payment to accompany the return. Failure to remit any amount of
increased payment shall reduce the contribution accordingly.
    If, on October 1 of any year, the total contributions to
any one of the funds made under this Section do not equal
$100,000 or more, the explanations and spaces for designating
contributions to the fund shall be removed from the individual
income tax return forms for the following and all subsequent
years and all subsequent contributions to the fund shall be
refunded to the taxpayer.
(Source: P.A. 92-84, eff. 7-1-02; 92-198, eff. 8-1-01; 92-651,
eff. 7-11-02; 92-772, eff. 8-6-02; 92-886, eff. 2-7-03; 93-36,
eff. 6-24-03; 93-131, eff. 7-10-03; 93-292, eff. 7-22-03;
93-324, eff. 7-23-03; 93-776, eff. 7-21-04.)
 
    (35 ILCS 5/510)  (from Ch. 120, par. 5-510)
    Sec. 510. Determination of amounts contributed. The
Department shall determine the total amount contributed to each
of the following: the Child Abuse Prevention Fund, the Illinois
Wildlife Preservation Fund, the Assistance to the Homeless
Fund, the Alzheimer's Disease Research Fund, the Penny Severns
Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Fund, the National World
War II Memorial Fund, the Prostate Cancer Research Fund, the
Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, the Lou Gehrig's Disease
(ALS) Research Fund, the Multiple Sclerosis Assistance Fund,
the Leukemia Treatment and Education Fund, the World War II
Illinois Veterans Memorial Fund, the Korean War Veterans
National Museum and Library Fund, the Illinois Veterans' Homes
Fund, the Blindness Prevention Fund, and the Asthma and Lung
Research Fund; and shall notify the State Comptroller and the
State Treasurer of the amounts to be transferred from the
General Revenue Fund to each fund, and upon receipt of such
notification the State Treasurer and Comptroller shall
transfer the amounts.
(Source: P.A. 92-84, eff. 7-1-02; 92-198, eff. 8-1-01; 92-651,
eff. 7-11-02; 92-772, eff. 8-6-02; 92-886, eff. 2-7-03; 93-36,
eff. 6-24-03; 93-131, eff. 7-10-03; 93-292, eff. 7-22-03;
93-324, eff. 7-23-03; 93-776, eff. 7-21-04.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.