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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0519

SB1493 Re-enrolled                            LRB9207067ACcdA

    AN ACT  in  relation  to  senior  citizens  and  disabled
persons.

    Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The  Senior  Citizens  and  Disabled  Persons
Property  Tax  Relief  and  Pharmaceutical  Assistance Act is
amended by changing Sections 3.07, 4, and  5  and  by  adding
Section 4.1 as follows:

    (320 ILCS 25/3.07) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 403.07)
    Sec.   3.07.    "Income"  means  adjusted  gross  income,
properly reportable for federal income tax purposes under the
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, modified  by  adding
thereto  the  sum  of  the  following  amounts  to the extent
deducted or excluded from gross income in the computation  of
adjusted gross income:
         (A)  An  amount equal to all amounts paid or accrued
    as interest or dividends during the taxable year;
         (B)  An amount equal to the amount of tax imposed by
    the Illinois Income Tax Act paid for the taxable year;
         (C)  An amount equal to all amounts received  during
    the   taxable  year  as  an  annuity  under  an  annuity,
    endowment or life insurance contract or under  any  other
    contract or agreement;
         (D)  An  amount equal to the amount of benefits paid
    under the Federal Social Security Act during the  taxable
    year;
         (E)  An  amount equal to the amount of benefits paid
    under the Railroad  Retirement  Act  during  the  taxable
    year;
         (F)  An  amount  equal  to  the total amount of cash
    public assistance payments received from any governmental
    agency  during  the  taxable  year  other  than  benefits
    received pursuant to this Act;
         (G)  An amount  equal  to  any  net  operating  loss
    carryover  deduction  or capital loss carryover deduction
    during the taxable year;
         (H)  For claim years beginning on or  after  January
    1,  2002,  an amount equal to any benefits received under
    the   Workers'   Compensation   Act   or   the   Workers'
    Occupational Diseases Act during the taxable year.
    "Income" does not include any grant  assistance  received
under   the   Nursing   Home  Grant  Assistance  Act  or  any
distributions or items of income described under subparagraph
(X) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Section 203 of  the
Illinois Income Tax Act.
    This  amendatory  Act  of  1987  shall  be  effective for
purposes of this Section for tax years  ending  on  or  after
December 31, 1987.
(Source: P.A. 90-491, eff. 1-1-98; 91-676, eff. 12-23-99.)

    (320 ILCS 25/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 404)
    Sec. 4.  Amount of Grant.
    (a)  In  general. Any individual 65 years or older or any
individual who will become 65 years old during  the  calendar
year  in  which a claim is filed, and any surviving spouse of
such a claimant, who at the time of  death  received  or  was
entitled  to  receive a grant pursuant to this Section, which
surviving spouse will become 65 years of age  within  the  24
months  immediately  following the death of such claimant and
which surviving spouse but for his or her  age  is  otherwise
qualified  to  receive  a grant pursuant to this Section, and
any disabled person whose annual  household  income  is  less
than $14,000 for grant years before the 1998 grant year, less
than $16,000 for the 1998 and 1999 grant years, and less than
(i)  $21,218  for  a  household  containing  one person, (ii)
$28,480 for  a  household  containing  2  persons,  or  (iii)
$35,740  for a household containing 3 or more persons for the
2000 grant year and thereafter and whose household is  liable
for  payment  of  property  taxes  accrued  or  has paid rent
constituting property taxes accrued and is domiciled in  this
State  at  the time he files his claim is entitled to claim a
grant under  this  Act.  With  respect  to  claims  filed  by
individuals  who will become 65 years old during the calendar
year in which a claim is filed, the amount of  any  grant  to
which  that household is entitled shall be an amount equal to
1/12 of the amount to which the claimant would  otherwise  be
entitled  as  provided  in  this  Section,  multiplied by the
number of months in which the claimant was 65 in the calendar
year in which the claim is filed.
    (b)  Limitation.   Except  as   otherwise   provided   in
subsections  (a)  and (f) of this Section, the maximum amount
of grant which a claimant is entitled to claim is the  amount
by  which  the  property  taxes  accrued  which  were paid or
payable  during  the  last  preceding  tax   year   or   rent
constituting  property  taxes  accrued  upon  the  claimant's
residence  for the last preceding taxable year exceeds 3 1/2%
of the claimant's household income for that year  but  in  no
event  is the grant to exceed (i) $700 less 4.5% of household
income for that year for those with  a  household  income  of
$14,000 or less or (ii) $70 if household income for that year
is more than $14,000.
    (c)  Public  aid  recipients.  If household income in one
or more months during a  year  includes  cash  assistance  in
excess  of $55 per month from the Department of Public Aid or
the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to  the
Department  of  Public  Aid  under  the  Department  of Human
Services Act)  which was determined under regulations of that
Department on a measure of need that  included  an  allowance
for  actual  rent  or property taxes paid by the recipient of
that assistance, the amount of grant to which that  household
is  entitled, except as otherwise provided in subsection (a),
shall be the product of (1) the maximum  amount  computed  as
specified in subsection (b) of this Section and (2) the ratio
of  the  number  of  months in which household income did not
include such cash assistance over $55 to the  number  twelve.
If household income did not include such cash assistance over
$55  for  any months during the year, the amount of the grant
to which the household  is  entitled  shall  be  the  maximum
amount  computed  as  specified  in  subsection  (b)  of this
Section.   For  purposes  of  this   paragraph   (c),   "cash
assistance"  does  not  include any amount received under the
federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
    (d)  Joint ownership.  If title to the residence is  held
jointly  by the claimant with a person who is not a member of
his household, the amount of property taxes accrued  used  in
computing  the  amount of grant to which he is entitled shall
be the same percentage of property taxes accrued  as  is  the
percentage   of   ownership  held  by  the  claimant  in  the
residence.
    (e)  More than one residence.  If a claimant has occupied
more than one residence in the taxable  year,  he  may  claim
only  one  residence for any part of a month.  In the case of
property taxes accrued, he shall pro rate 1/12 of  the  total
property taxes accrued on his residence to each month that he
owned  and  occupied that residence; and, in the case of rent
constituting property taxes  accrued,  shall  pro  rate  each
month's  rent  payments  to  the  residence actually occupied
during that month.
    (f)  There   is   hereby   established   a   program   of
pharmaceutical assistance to  the  aged  and  disabled  which
shall  be  administered  by the Department in accordance with
this Act, to consist of payments to authorized pharmacies, on
behalf of beneficiaries of the program,  for  the  reasonable
costs  of  covered  prescription drugs.  Each beneficiary who
pays $5 for an identification card shall  pay  no  additional
prescription  costs.    Each  beneficiary who pays $25 for an
identification  card  shall  pay  $3  per  prescription.   In
addition, after a beneficiary  receives  $2,000  in  benefits
during  a  State  fiscal year, that beneficiary shall also be
charged 20% of  the  cost  of  each  prescription  for  which
payments  are made by the program during the remainder of the
fiscal year. To become a beneficiary  under  this  program  a
person  must  be:  (1)  (i)  65  years  or older, or (ii) the
surviving spouse of such a claimant, who at the time of death
received or was entitled to receive benefits pursuant to this
subsection, which surviving spouse will become  65  years  of
age  within  the 24 months immediately following the death of
such claimant and which surviving spouse but for his  or  her
age  is  otherwise  qualified to receive benefits pursuant to
this subsection, or (iii) disabled, and (2) is  domiciled  in
this State at the time he files his or her claim, and (3) has
a  maximum  household  income  of less than $14,000 for grant
years before the 1998 grant year, less than $16,000  for  the
1998  and  1999  grant years, and less than (i) $21,218 for a
household containing one person, (ii) $28,480 for a household
containing 2  persons,  or  (iii)  $35,740  for  a  household
containing  3  more  persons  for  the  2000  grant  year and
thereafter. In addition, each eligible person must (1) obtain
an identification card from the Department, (2) at  the  time
the card is obtained, sign a statement assigning to the State
of Illinois benefits which may be otherwise claimed under any
private  insurance plans, (3) present the identification card
to the dispensing pharmacist.
    Whenever a generic equivalent for a covered  prescription
drug  is  available,  the Department shall reimburse only for
the reasonable costs of  the  generic  equivalent,  less  the
co-pay  established  in  this Section, unless (i) the covered
prescription drug contains one or more ingredients defined as
a narrow therapeutic index drug at 21 CFR  320.33,  (ii)  the
prescriber  indicates  on the face of the prescription "brand
medically necessary", and (iii) the prescriber specifies that
a substitution  is  not  permitted.   When  issuing  an  oral
prescription for covered prescription medication described in
item  (i)  of  this paragraph, the prescriber shall stipulate
"brand medically necessary" and that a  substitution  is  not
permitted.    If   the  covered  prescription  drug  and  its
authorizing prescription do  not  meet  the  criteria  listed
above,   the   beneficiary   may   purchase  the  non-generic
equivalent of the covered prescription  drug  by  paying  the
difference  between the generic cost and the non-generic cost
plus the beneficiary co-pay.
    Any  person   otherwise   eligible   for   pharmaceutical
assistance  under this Act whose covered drugs are covered by
any public program for assistance in purchasing  any  covered
prescription  drugs  shall be ineligible for assistance under
this Act to the extent such costs are covered by  such  other
plan.
    The   fee  to  be  charged  by  the  Department  for  the
identification card shall be equal to $5  per  coverage  year
for persons below the official poverty line as defined by the
United States Department of Health and Human Services and $25
per coverage year for all other persons.
    In  the event that 2 or more persons are eligible for any
benefit  under  this  Act,  and  are  members  of  the   same
household,   (1)  each  such  person  shall  be  entitled  to
participate  in  the   pharmaceutical   assistance   program,
provided  that he or she meets all other requirements imposed
by this  subsection  and  (2)  each  participating  household
member  contributes  the  fee required for that person by the
preceding  paragraph  for  the  purpose   of   obtaining   an
identification card.
(Source: P.A.  90-650,  eff.  7-27-98;  91-357, eff. 7-29-99;
91-699, eff. 1-1-01.)

    (320 ILCS 25/4.1 new)
    Sec.    4.1.     Information    to    the     Department.
Notwithstanding  any  other  law  to  the  contrary, entities
subject to the Illinois Insurance Code, Comprehensive  Health
Insurance  Plan  Act,  Dental  Service  Plan  Act, Children's
Health Insurance Program Act, Health  Care  Purchasing  Group
Act,  Health  Maintenance  Organization  Act,  Limited Health
Service Organization Act,  Voluntary  Health  Services  Plans
Act,  and  the  Workers' Compensation Act, including, but not
limited  to,  insurers,  health  maintenance   organizations,
pharmacy   benefit   managers,  third  party  administrators,
fraternal   benefit    societies,    group-funded    workers'
compensation pools, municipal group-funded pools, self-funded
or self-insured welfare or benefit plans or programs, and any
other  entities  that  provide  health  coverage  through  an
employer,  union,  trade association or other organization or
source, or any other entities, must  provide  information  to
the  Department,  or its designee, that is necessary to carry
out the purposes of this Act, including, but not limited  to,
the name, social security number, address, date of birth, and
coverage  of  their  policyholders, their subscribers, or the
beneficiaries of  their  plans,  benefits,  or  services  who
participate in the programs under this Act.  The provision of
this information to the Department or its designee is subject
to the confidentiality provisions in Section 8a of this Act.

    (320 ILCS 25/5) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 405)
    Sec. 5.  Procedure.
    (a)  In  general.   Claims must be filed after January 1,
on forms prescribed by the Department.  No claim may be filed
more than one year after December 31 of the  year  for  which
the  claim  is filed except that claims for 1976 may be filed
until  December  31,  1978.   The  pharmaceutical  assistance
identification card provided for in subsection (f) of Section
4 shall be valid for a period not to exceed one year.  On and
after January 1, 2002, however, to enable the  Department  to
convert  coverage  for  a  pharmaceutical  assistance program
participant to a State fiscal year basis,  a  card  shall  be
valid  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period  than  12  months,
depending  on  the  date  a  timely  claim  is  filed  and as
determined by the Department.  All  applicants  for  benefits
under  this  program approved for benefits on or after July 1
but on or before December 31 of any  State  fiscal  year  are
eligible  for  benefits  through June 30 of that State fiscal
year.   All  applicants  for  benefits  under  this   program
approved  for benefits on or after January 1 but on or before
June 30 of any State fiscal year are  eligible  for  benefits
through June 30 of the following State fiscal year.
    (b)  Claim  is Personal.  The right to file a claim under
this Act shall be personal to  the  claimant  and  shall  not
survive  his death, but such right may be exercised on behalf
of a claimant by his legal guardian or attorney-in-fact.   If
a claimant dies after having filed a timely claim, the amount
thereof  shall be disbursed to his surviving spouse or, if no
spouse survives, to his surviving dependent minor children in
equal parts, provided the spouse or child, as  the  case  may
be, resided with the claimant at the time he filed his claim.
If  at  the time of disbursement neither the claimant nor his
spouse is surviving, and no dependent minor children  of  the
claimant  are surviving the amount of the claim shall escheat
to the State.
    (c)  One claim per  household.   Only  one  member  of  a
household  may  file  a  claim under this Act in any calendar
year;  where  both  members  of  a  household  are  otherwise
entitled to claim a grant under this Act, they must agree  as
to which of them will file a claim for that year.
    (d)  Content of application form.  The form prescribed by
the  Department for purposes of paragraph (a) shall include a
table, appropriately keyed to the parts of the form on  which
the  claimant  is required to furnish information, which will
enable the claimant  to  determine  readily  the  approximate
amount of grant to which he is entitled by relating levels of
household   income   to   property   taxes  accrued  or  rent
constituting property taxes accrued.
    (e)  Pharmaceutical    Assistance    Procedures.      The
Department   shall   establish   the   form  and  manner  for
application, and establish by January 1, 1986 a procedure  to
enable  persons  to apply for the additional grant or for the
pharmaceutical assistance identification  card  on  the  same
application  form. The Department shall determine eligibility
for pharmaceutical assistance using the  applicant's  current
income.  The  Department  shall  determine a person's current
income in the manner provided by the Department by rule.
(Source: P.A. 91-533, eff. 8-13-99; 91-699, eff. 1-1-01.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.
    Passed in the General Assembly May 30, 2001.
    Governor Amendatory Veto August 23, 2001.
    General Assembly Accepts Amendatory Veto November 27, 2001.
    Returned to Governor for Certification December 07, 2001.
    Governor Certifies Changes January 01, 2002.

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