Human Services Committee

Filed: 3/9/2005

 

 


 

 


 
09400HB0818ham001 LRB094 07531 RSP 40124 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 818

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 818 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 Department.
8 In addition to powers and duties otherwise provided by law, the
9 Department shall have the following powers and duties:
10     (1) To evaluate all programs, services, and facilities for
11 the aged and for minority senior citizens within the State and
12 determine the extent to which present public or private
13 programs, services and facilities meet the needs of the aged.
14     (2) To coordinate and evaluate all programs, services, and
15 facilities for the Aging and for minority senior citizens
16 presently furnished by State agencies and make appropriate
17 recommendations regarding such services, programs and
18 facilities to the Governor and/or the General Assembly.
19     (3) To function as the sole State agency to develop a
20 comprehensive plan to meet the needs of the State's senior
21 citizens and the State's minority senior citizens.
22     (4) To receive and disburse State and federal funds made
23 available directly to the Department including those funds made

 

 

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1 available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior
2 Community Service Employment Program for providing services
3 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for
4 purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer any
5 State Plan for the Aging required by federal law.
6     (5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf of
7 the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or
8 property to the State of Illinois for services to senior
9 citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related
10 thereto.
11     (6) To provide consultation and assistance to communities,
12 area agencies on aging, and groups developing local services
13 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens.
14     (7) To promote community education regarding the problems
15 of senior citizens and minority senior citizens through
16 institutes, publications, radio, television and the local
17 press.
18     (8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government in
19 studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of senior
20 citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare programs
21 and facilities to meet those needs.
22     (9) To establish and maintain information and referral
23 sources throughout the State when not provided by other
24 agencies.
25     (10) To provide the staff support as may reasonably be
26 required by the Council and the Coordinating Committee of State
27 Agencies Serving Older Persons.
28     (11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary
29 and proper to the performance of its duties.
30     (12) To establish and fund programs or projects or
31 experimental facilities that are specially designed as
32 alternatives to institutional care.
33     (13) To develop a training program to train the counselors
34 presently employed by the Department's aging network to provide

 

 

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1 Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and advocacy in
2 Medicare, private health insurance, and related health care
3 coverage plans. The Department shall report to the General
4 Assembly on the implementation of the training program on or
5 before December 1, 1986.
6     (14) To make a grant to an institution of higher learning
7 to study the feasibility of establishing and implementing an
8 affirmative action employment plan for the recruitment,
9 hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or more years old
10 for jobs for which their employment would not be precluded by
11 law.
12     (15) To present one award annually in each of the
13 categories of community service, education, the performance
14 and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois
15 senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition of
16 their individual contributions to either community service,
17 education, the performance and graphic arts, or the labor
18 force. The awards shall be presented to four senior citizens
19 and minority senior citizens selected from a list of 44
20 nominees compiled annually by the Department. Nominations
21 shall be solicited from senior citizens' service providers,
22 area agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior
23 citizens' organizations. The Department shall consult with the
24 Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older Persons
25 to determine which of the nominees shall be the recipient in
26 each category of community service. The Department shall
27 establish a central location within the State to be designated
28 as the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame for the public display
29 of all the annual awards, or replicas thereof.
30     (16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through area
31 agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing
32 multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging, the
33 establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the State
34 as the Department shall designate by rule and as specifically

 

 

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1 appropriated funds become available.
2     (17) To develop the content and format of the
3 acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans
4 under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide
5 independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and
6 alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent counseling
7 services with expertise in reverse mortgages.
8     (18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which may
9 be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of
10 its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987,
11 pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice Act of
12 1987, and Illinois residents 65 years of age or older for the
13 purpose of assisting physicians, pharmacists, and patients in
14 monitoring prescriptions provided by various physicians and to
15 aid persons 65 years of age or older in complying with
16 directions for proper use of pharmaceutical prescriptions. The
17 pamphlet may provide space for recording information including
18 but not limited to the following:
19         (a) name and telephone number of the patient;
20         (b) name and telephone number of the prescribing
21     physician;
22         (c) date of prescription;
23         (d) name of drug prescribed;
24         (e) directions for patient compliance; and
25         (f) name and telephone number of dispensing pharmacy.
26     In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult
27 with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for
28 Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists Association
29 and senior citizens organizations. The Department shall
30 distribute the pamphlets to physicians, pharmacists and
31 persons 65 years of age or older or various senior citizen
32 organizations throughout the State.
33     (19) To conduct a study by April 1, 1994 of the feasibility
34 of implementing the Senior Companion Program throughout the

 

 

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1 State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1994.
2     (20) With respect to contracts in effect on July 1, 1994,
3 the Department shall increase the grant amounts so that the
4 reimbursement rates paid through the community care program for
5 chore housekeeping services and homemakers are at the same
6 rate, which shall be the higher of the 2 rates currently paid.
7 With respect to all contracts entered into, renewed, or
8 extended on or after July 1, 1994, the reimbursement rates paid
9 through the community care program for chore housekeeping
10 services and homemakers shall be the same.
11     (21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the
12 Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury that
13 is hereby created, and in accordance with State and federal
14 guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to make grants
15 to area agencies on aging, designated by the Department, for
16 the sole purpose of delivering meals to homebound persons 60
17 years of age and older.
18     (22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging,
19 information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding
20 emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold,
21 flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other severe storm
22 weather. The information shall include all necessary
23 instructions for safety and all emergency telephone numbers of
24 organizations that will provide additional information and
25 assistance.
26     (23) To develop guidelines for the organization and
27 implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be
28 administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based
29 senior service organizations. The Department shall hold public
30 hearings on the proposed guidelines for public comment,
31 suggestion, and determination of public interest. The
32 guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states and
33 of community organizations in Illinois that are currently
34 operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration

 

 

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1 volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall offer
2 guidelines for all aspects of the programs including, but not
3 limited to, the following:
4         (a) types of services to be offered by volunteers;
5         (b) types of services to be received upon the
6     redemption of service credits;
7         (c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the
8     administering organizations;
9         (d) methods of tracking service credits earned and
10     service credits redeemed;
11         (e) issues of time limits for redemption of service
12     credits;
13         (f) methods of recruitment of volunteers;
14         (g) utilization of community volunteers, community
15     service groups, and other resources for delivering
16     services to be received by service credit program clients;
17         (h) accountability and assurance that services will be
18     available to individuals who have earned service credits;
19     and
20         (i) volunteer screening and qualifications.
21 The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines to
22 the General Assembly by July 1, 1998.
23     (24) To establish and maintain a publicly accessible online
24 registry of all homemakers who are currently employed through a
25 Community Care Program homemaker provider. The registry shall
26 include the name of the homemaker, the name of the homemaker's
27 provider or company, the homemaker's current address and phone
28 number, the date and location of the pre-service training
29 completed by the homemaker, the date of the homemaker's last
30 criminal background check, and the date and location of all
31 in-service training completed by the homemaker. The Department
32 shall update this registry quarterly.
33 (Source: P.A. 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)".