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| [ House Amendment 002 ] |
92_HB1302eng HB1302 Engrossed LRB9204732JMpr 1 AN ACT concerning 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 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 23 citizens and the State's minority senior citizens. 24 (4) To receive and disburse State and federal funds made 25 available directly to the Department including those funds 26 made available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior 27 Community Service Employment Program for providing services 28 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for 29 purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer 30 any State Plan for the Aging required by federal law. 31 (5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf HB1302 Engrossed -2- LRB9204732JMpr 1 of the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or 2 property to the State of Illinois for services to senior 3 citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related 4 thereto. 5 (6) To provide consultation and assistance to 6 communities, area agencies on aging, and groups developing 7 local services for senior citizens and minority senior 8 citizens. 9 (7) To promote community education regarding the 10 problems of senior citizens and minority senior citizens 11 through institutes, publications, radio, television and the 12 local press. 13 (8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government 14 in studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of 15 senior citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare 16 programs and facilities to meet those needs. 17 (9) To establish and maintain information and referral 18 sources throughout the State when not provided by other 19 agencies. 20 (10) To provide the staff support as may reasonably be 21 required by the Council and the Coordinating Committee of 22 State Agencies Serving Older Persons. 23 (11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary 24 and proper to the performance of its duties. 25 (12) To establish and fund programs or projects or 26 experimental facilities that are specially designed as 27 alternatives to institutional care. 28 (13) To develop a training program to train the 29 counselors presently employed by the Department's aging 30 network to provide Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and 31 advocacy in Medicare, private health insurance, and related 32 health care coverage plans. The Department shall report to 33 the General Assembly on the implementation of the training 34 program on or before December 1, 1986. HB1302 Engrossed -3- LRB9204732JMpr 1 (14) To make a grant to an institution of higher 2 learning to study the feasibility of establishing and 3 implementing an affirmative action employment plan for the 4 recruitment, hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or 5 more years old for jobs for which their employment would not 6 be precluded by law. 7 (15) To present one award annually in each of the 8 categories of community service, education, the performance 9 and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois 10 senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition 11 of their individual contributions to either community 12 service, education, the performance and graphic arts, or the 13 labor force. The awards shall be presented to four senior 14 citizens and minority senior citizens selected from a list of 15 44 nominees compiled annually by the Department. Nominations 16 shall be solicited from senior citizens' service providers, 17 area agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior 18 citizens' organizations. The Department shall consult with 19 the Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older 20 Persons to determine which of the nominees shall be the 21 recipient in each category of community service. The 22 Department shall establish a central location within the 23 State to be designated as the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame 24 for the public display of all the annual awards, or replicas 25 thereof. 26 (16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through 27 area agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing 28 multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging, 29 the establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the 30 State as the Department shall designate by rule and as 31 specifically appropriated funds become available. 32 (17) To develop the content and format of the 33 acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans 34 under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide HB1302 Engrossed -4- LRB9204732JMpr 1 independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and 2 alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent 3 counseling services with expertise in reverse mortgages. 4 (18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which 5 may be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in 6 all of its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 7 1987, pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice 8 Act and Illinois residents 65 years of age or older for the 9 purpose of assisting physicians, pharmacists, and patients in 10 monitoring prescriptions provided by various physicians and 11 to aid persons 65 years of age or older in complying with 12 directions for proper use of pharmaceutical prescriptions. 13 The pamphlet may provide space for recording information 14 including but not limited to the following: 15 (a) name and telephone number of the patient; 16 (b) name and telephone number of the prescribing 17 physician; 18 (c) date of prescription; 19 (d) name of drug prescribed; 20 (e) directions for patient compliance; and 21 (f) name and telephone number of dispensing 22 pharmacy. 23 In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult 24 with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for 25 Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists 26 Association and senior citizens organizations. The 27 Department shall distribute the pamphlets to physicians, 28 pharmacists and persons 65 years of age or older or various 29 senior citizen organizations throughout the State. 30 (19) To conduct a study by April 1, 1994 of the 31 feasibility of implementing the Senior Companion Program 32 throughout the State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 33 1994. 34 (20) With respect to contracts in effect on July 1, HB1302 Engrossed -5- LRB9204732JMpr 1 1994, the Department shall increase the grant amounts so that 2 the reimbursement rates paid through the community care 3 program for chore housekeeping services and homemakers are at 4 the same rate, which shall be the higher of the 2 rates 5 currently paid. With respect to all contracts entered into, 6 renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 1994, the 7 reimbursement rates paid through the community care program 8 for chore housekeeping services and homemakers shall be the 9 same. 10 (21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the 11 Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury 12 that is hereby created, and in accordance with State and 13 federal guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to 14 make grants to area agencies on aging, designated by the 15 Department, for the sole purpose of delivering meals to 16 homebound persons 60 years of age and older. 17 (21.1) Beginning July 1, 2001, to distribute any new 18 funds to the area agencies on aging, with the exception of 19 legislatively directed programs requiring funding at a 20 designated level for a defined target population, according 21 to the intrastate funding formula. 22 (22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging, 23 information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding 24 emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and 25 cold, flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other 26 severe storm weather. The information shall include all 27 necessary instructions for safety and all emergency telephone 28 numbers of organizations that will provide additional 29 information and assistance. 30 (23) To develop guidelines for the organization and 31 implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be 32 administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based 33 senior service organizations. The Department shall hold 34 public hearings on the proposed guidelines for public HB1302 Engrossed -6- LRB9204732JMpr 1 comment, suggestion, and determination of public interest. 2 The guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states 3 and of community organizations in Illinois that are currently 4 operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration 5 volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall 6 offer guidelines for all aspects of the programs including, 7 but not limited to, the following: 8 (a) types of services to be offered by volunteers; 9 (b) types of services to be received upon the 10 redemption of service credits; 11 (c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the 12 administering organizations; 13 (d) methods of tracking service credits earned and 14 service credits redeemed; 15 (e) issues of time limits for redemption of service 16 credits; 17 (f) methods of recruitment of volunteers; 18 (g) utilization of community volunteers, community 19 service groups, and other resources for delivering 20 services to be received by service credit program 21 clients; 22 (h) accountability and assurance that services will 23 be available to individuals who have earned service 24 credits; and 25 (i) volunteer screening and qualifications. 26 The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines 27 to the General Assembly by July 1, 1998. 28 (Source: P.A. 89-249, eff. 8-4-95; 89-580, eff. 1-1-97; 29 90-251, eff. 1-1-98.) 30 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 31 becoming law.