By Phil Milsk, CCDI Legislative Affairs Consultant

Legislators are not scheduled to return to the Capitol until April 1st. The deadline has passed for bills to advance out of committee in the house in which they originated, so with the exception of a few bills that may be allowed extended deadlines, bills that failed to move out of committee as of the end of last week are essentially dead.

When the members return on April 1st they will begin deliberating on bills that have been favorably reported out of committees. The next deadline is April 18 when bills must pass from the house of origin to the second chamber. A one-week break for Passover is scheduled for April 21-25, and when both houses return on April 29 we will hopefully be in the stretch run. The scheduled adjournment date is Thursday, May 29. However, given our experience with the budget in 2007 and the apparent lack of anything even approaching an agreement on the budget, the prospects of finishing on time this year seem dismal.

SPECIAL EDUCATION:
House Bill 4822 (Coulson, R-Glenview): This bill would update the secondary transition planning section of the Illinois School Code to align its provisions with IDEA. We are working on an amendment with the State Board of Education and the sponsor that would further promote successful transition outcomes. CCDI strongly supports this bill.
STATUS: House 3rd Reading.

WORK INCENTIVES:
House Bill 5251 (Nekritz, D-DesPlaines): This measure, as amended, would change the section of the Public Aid Code dealing with the Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities program (HBWD) by allowing an individual who is determined by the Social Security Administration to have "medical improvement" to remain on the HBWD program as long as the individual is otherwise eligible. This will benefit a small number of individuals each year whose HBWD eligibility is terminated due to medical improvement.
STATUS: House 3rd Reading. CCDI strongly supports this bill.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS:
House Bill 4449 (Franks, D-Woodstock): Raises the level of pharmaceutical assistance coverage under the Illinois Cares Rx program ("Circuit Breaker") for persons with disabilities between the ages of 55 and 64 and certain individuals age 65 and over. Illinois Cares Rx is designed to fill gaps in the Medicare Part D drug program.
STATUS: House, 2nd Reading. CCDI strongly supports this bill.

DISABILITY AWARENESS EDUCATION:
House Bill 4537 (Flider, D-Decatur): This is an initiative of self-advocates from the Decatur area that calls for school districts to conduct instruction, and/or activities during the school year that promote awareness of disabilities and the disability rights movement.
STATUS: House, 3rd Reading. CCDI supports this bill.

HUMAN RIGHTS:
Senate Bill 2256 (Cullerton, D-Chicago): A follow-up to our SB 593 from 2007. It makes a change in the Article of the Illinois Human Rights Act concerning places of public accommodation in regard to educational facilities. The bill would narrow the exemption created last year for activities that take place in a classroom or in physical education so that the Department of Human Rights would have jurisdiction over certain acts of discrimination that occur in the classroom.
STATUS: Senate, 2nd Reading. CCDI strongly supports this bill.

EMPLOYMENT:
Senate Bill 2538(Garrett, D-Highwood): As amended, the bill requires the Department of Central Management Services, in cooperation with the Department of Human Services, to develop and implement plans to increase the number of individuals with a disability employed by State government and to submit an annual report. It also would require the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in cooperation with the Department of Human Services, to develop and implement a public awareness campaign designed to increase statewide awareness of issues that affect employment of individuals with a disability. Further, it would require the Department of Human Services to collect information during the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 regarding employers' claims of the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit and to submit an annual report. The bill also provides that a chief procurement officer of a State agency may, as part of any solicitation, encourage prospective vendors to consider hiring qualified individuals with a disability and to notify them of any available financial incentives or other advantages associated with hiring such persons.
STATUS: Senate, 2nd Reading. CCDI is working with the sponsor and other disability advocates on this legislation. Further amendments, including one that would create a mentoring program, are under consideration at this time.

HEALTH CARE ACCESS:
Senate Bill 1925 (Schoenberg, D-Wilmette): This bill would provide State-funded healthcare coverage for uninsured individuals whose incomes are at or below 100% of the federal poverty level. Amendments are currently being discussed to add requirements that would promote cost-savings.
STATUS: Senate, 2nd Reading. CCDI supports this legislation.