Public Act 90-0251 of the 90th General Assembly
Public Act 90-0251
HB1316 Enrolled LRB9003724MWsb
AN ACT to amend the Illinois Act on the Aging by changing
Section 4.01.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by
changing Section 4.01 as follows:
(20 ILCS 105/4.01) (from Ch. 23, par. 6104.01)
Sec. 4.01. Additional powers and duties of the
Department. In addition to powers and duties otherwise
provided by law, the Department shall have the following
powers and duties:
(1) To evaluate all programs, services, and facilities
for the aged and for minority senior citizens within the
State and determine the extent to which present public or
private programs, services and facilities meet the needs of
the aged.
(2) To coordinate and evaluate all programs, services,
and facilities for the Aging and for minority senior citizens
presently furnished by State agencies and make appropriate
recommendations regarding such services, programs and
facilities to the Governor and/or the General Assembly.
(3) To function as the sole State agency to develop a
comprehensive plan to meet the needs of the State's senior
citizens and the State's minority senior citizens.
(4) To receive and disburse State and federal funds made
available directly to the Department including those funds
made available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior
Community Service Employment Program for providing services
for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for
purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer
any State Plan for the Aging required by federal law.
(5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf
of the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or
property to the State of Illinois for services to senior
citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related
thereto.
(6) To provide consultation and assistance to
communities, area agencies on aging, and groups developing
local services for senior citizens and minority senior
citizens.
(7) To promote community education regarding the
problems of senior citizens and minority senior citizens
through institutes, publications, radio, television and the
local press.
(8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government
in studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of
senior citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare
programs and facilities to meet those needs.
(9) To establish and maintain information and referral
sources throughout the State when not provided by other
agencies.
(10) To provide the staff support as may reasonably be
required by the Council and the Coordinating Committee of
State Agencies Serving Older Persons.
(11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary
and proper to the performance of its duties.
(12) To establish and fund programs or projects or
experimental facilities that are specially designed as
alternatives to institutional care.
(13) To develop a training program to train the
counselors presently employed by the Department's aging
network to provide Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and
advocacy in Medicare, private health insurance, and related
health care coverage plans. The Department shall report to
the General Assembly on the implementation of the training
program on or before December 1, 1986.
(14) To make a grant to an institution of higher
learning to study the feasibility of establishing and
implementing an affirmative action employment plan for the
recruitment, hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or
more years old for jobs for which their employment would not
be precluded by law.
(15) To present one award annually in each of the
categories of community service, education, the performance
and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois
senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition
of their individual contributions to either community
service, education, the performance and graphic arts, or the
labor force. The awards shall be presented to four senior
citizens and minority senior citizens selected from a list of
44 nominees compiled annually by the Department. Nominations
shall be solicited from senior citizens' service providers,
area agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior
citizens' organizations. The Department shall consult with
the Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older
Persons to determine which of the nominees shall be the
recipient in each category of community service. The
Department shall establish a central location within the
State to be designated as the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame
for the public display of all the annual awards, or replicas
thereof.
(16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through
area agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing
multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging,
the establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the
State as the Department shall designate by rule and as
specifically appropriated funds become available.
(17) To develop the content and format of the
acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans
under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide
independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and
alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent
counseling services with expertise in reverse mortgages.
(18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which
may be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in
all of its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of
1987, pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice
Act and Illinois residents 65 years of age or older for the
purpose of assisting physicians, pharmacists, and patients in
monitoring prescriptions provided by various physicians and
to aid persons 65 years of age or older in complying with
directions for proper use of pharmaceutical prescriptions.
The pamphlet may provide space for recording information
including but not limited to the following:
(a) name and telephone number of the patient;
(b) name and telephone number of the prescribing
physician;
(c) date of prescription;
(d) name of drug prescribed;
(e) directions for patient compliance; and
(f) name and telephone number of dispensing
pharmacy.
In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult
with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for
Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists
Association and senior citizens organizations. The
Department shall distribute the pamphlets to physicians,
pharmacists and persons 65 years of age or older or various
senior citizen organizations throughout the State.
(19) To conduct a study by April 1, 1994 of the
feasibility of implementing the Senior Companion Program
throughout the State for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
1994.
(20) With respect to contracts in effect on July 1,
1994, the Department shall increase the grant amounts so that
the reimbursement rates paid through the community care
program for chore housekeeping services and homemakers are at
the same rate, which shall be the higher of the 2 rates
currently paid. With respect to all contracts entered into,
renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 1994, the
reimbursement rates paid through the community care program
for chore housekeeping services and homemakers shall be the
same.
(21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the
Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury
that is hereby created, and in accordance with State and
federal guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to
make grants to area agencies on aging, designated by the
Department, for the sole purpose of delivering meals to
homebound persons 60 years of age and older.
(22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging,
information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding
emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and
cold, flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other
severe storm weather. The information shall include all
necessary instructions for safety and all emergency telephone
numbers of organizations that will provide additional
information and assistance.
(23) To develop guidelines for the organization and
implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be
administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based
senior service organizations. The Department shall hold
public hearings on the proposed guidelines for public
comment, suggestion, and determination of public interest.
The guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states
and of community organizations in Illinois that are currently
operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration
volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall
offer guidelines for all aspects of the programs including,
but not limited to, the following:
(a) types of services to be offered by volunteers;
(b) types of services to be received upon the
redemption of service credits;
(c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the
administering organizations;
(d) methods of tracking service credits earned and
service credits redeemed;
(e) issues of time limits for redemption of service
credits;
(f) methods of recruitment of volunteers;
(g) utilization of community volunteers, community
service groups, and other resources for delivering
services to be received by service credit program
clients;
(h) accountability and assurance that services will
be available to individuals who have earned service
credits; and
(i) volunteer screening and qualifications.
The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines
to the General Assembly by July 1, 1998.
(Source: P.A. 88-55; 88-252; 88-254; 88-459; 88-500; 88-670,
eff. 12-2-94; 89-249, eff. 8-4-95; 89-580, eff. 1-1-97.)