93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4645

 

Introduced 02/04/04, by Thomas Holbrook

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 105/4.01   from Ch. 23, par. 6104.01
20 ILCS 105/3.04 rep.
20 ILCS 105/7.02 rep.
20 ILCS 105/8 rep.
20 ILCS 105/8.01 rep.
20 ILCS 105/8.02 rep.
20 ILCS 105/8.03 rep.

    Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Deletes provisions concerning the Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older Persons.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning the Department on Aging.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
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
24 available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior
25 Community Service Employment Program for providing services
26 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for
27 purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer any
28 State Plan for the Aging required by federal law.
29     (5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf of
30 the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or
31 property to the State of Illinois for services to senior
32 citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related

 

 

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1 thereto.
2     (6) To provide consultation and assistance to communities,
3 area agencies on aging, and groups developing local services
4 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens.
5     (7) To promote community education regarding the problems
6 of senior citizens and minority senior citizens through
7 institutes, publications, radio, television and the local
8 press.
9     (8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government in
10 studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of senior
11 citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare programs
12 and facilities to meet those needs.
13     (9) To establish and maintain information and referral
14 sources throughout the State when not provided by other
15 agencies.
16     (10) To provide the staff support as may reasonably be
17 required by the Council and the Coordinating Committee of State
18 Agencies Serving Older Persons.
19     (11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary
20 and proper to the performance of its duties.
21     (12) To establish and fund programs or projects or
22 experimental facilities that are specially designed as
23 alternatives to institutional care.
24     (13) To develop a training program to train the counselors
25 presently employed by the Department's aging network to provide
26 Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and advocacy in
27 Medicare, private health insurance, and related health care
28 coverage plans. The Department shall report to the General
29 Assembly on the implementation of the training program on or
30 before December 1, 1986.
31     (14) To make a grant to an institution of higher learning
32 to study the feasibility of establishing and implementing an
33 affirmative action employment plan for the recruitment,
34 hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or more years old
35 for jobs for which their employment would not be precluded by
36 law.

 

 

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1     (15) To present one award annually in each of the
2 categories of community service, education, the performance
3 and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois
4 senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition of
5 their individual contributions to either community service,
6 education, the performance and graphic arts, or the labor
7 force. The awards shall be presented to four senior citizens
8 and minority senior citizens selected from a list of 44
9 nominees compiled annually by the Department. Nominations
10 shall be solicited from senior citizens' service providers,
11 area agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior
12 citizens' organizations. The Department shall consult with the
13 Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older Persons
14 to determine which of the nominees shall be the recipient in
15 each category of community service. The Department shall
16 establish a central location within the State to be designated
17 as the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame for the public display
18 of all the annual awards, or replicas thereof.
19     (16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through area
20 agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing
21 multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging, the
22 establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the State
23 as the Department shall designate by rule and as specifically
24 appropriated funds become available.
25     (17) To develop the content and format of the
26 acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans
27 under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide
28 independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and
29 alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent counseling
30 services with expertise in reverse mortgages.
31     (18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which may
32 be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of
33 its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987,
34 pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice Act of
35 1987, and Illinois residents 65 years of age or older for the
36 purpose of assisting physicians, pharmacists, and patients in

 

 

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1 monitoring prescriptions provided by various physicians and to
2 aid persons 65 years of age or older in complying with
3 directions for proper use of pharmaceutical prescriptions. The
4 pamphlet may provide space for recording information including
5 but not limited to the following:
6         (a) name and telephone number of the patient;
7         (b) name and telephone number of the prescribing
8     physician;
9         (c) date of prescription;
10         (d) name of drug prescribed;
11         (e) directions for patient compliance; and
12         (f) name and telephone number of dispensing pharmacy.
13     In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult
14 with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for
15 Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists Association
16 and senior citizens organizations. The Department shall
17 distribute the pamphlets to physicians, pharmacists and
18 persons 65 years of age or older or various senior citizen
19 organizations throughout the State.
20     (19) To conduct a study by April 1, 1994 of the feasibility
21 of implementing the Senior Companion Program throughout the
22 State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1994.
23     (20) With respect to contracts in effect on July 1, 1994,
24 the Department shall increase the grant amounts so that the
25 reimbursement rates paid through the community care program for
26 chore housekeeping services and homemakers are at the same
27 rate, which shall be the higher of the 2 rates currently paid.
28 With respect to all contracts entered into, renewed, or
29 extended on or after July 1, 1994, the reimbursement rates paid
30 through the community care program for chore housekeeping
31 services and homemakers shall be the same.
32     (21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the
33 Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury that
34 is hereby created, and in accordance with State and federal
35 guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to make grants
36 to area agencies on aging, designated by the Department, for

 

 

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1 the sole purpose of delivering meals to homebound persons 60
2 years of age and older.
3     (22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging,
4 information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding
5 emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold,
6 flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other severe storm
7 weather. The information shall include all necessary
8 instructions for safety and all emergency telephone numbers of
9 organizations that will provide additional information and
10 assistance.
11     (23) To develop guidelines for the organization and
12 implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be
13 administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based
14 senior service organizations. The Department shall hold public
15 hearings on the proposed guidelines for public comment,
16 suggestion, and determination of public interest. The
17 guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states and
18 of community organizations in Illinois that are currently
19 operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration
20 volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall offer
21 guidelines for all aspects of the programs including, but not
22 limited to, the following:
23         (a) types of services to be offered by volunteers;
24         (b) types of services to be received upon the
25     redemption of service credits;
26         (c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the
27     administering organizations;
28         (d) methods of tracking service credits earned and
29     service credits redeemed;
30         (e) issues of time limits for redemption of service
31     credits;
32         (f) methods of recruitment of volunteers;
33         (g) utilization of community volunteers, community
34     service groups, and other resources for delivering
35     services to be received by service credit program clients;
36         (h) accountability and assurance that services will be

 

 

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1     available to individuals who have earned service credits;
2     and
3         (i) volunteer screening and qualifications.
4 The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines to
5 the General Assembly by July 1, 1998.
6 (Source: P.A. 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)
 
7     (20 ILCS 105/3.04 rep.)
8     (20 ILCS 105/7.02 rep.)
9     (20 ILCS 105/8 rep.)
10     (20 ILCS 105/8.01 rep.)
11     (20 ILCS 105/8.02 rep.)
12     (20 ILCS 105/8.03 rep.)
13     Section 10. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by
14 repealing Sections 3.04, 7.02, 8, 8.01, 8.02, and 8.03.