HB0968 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 08273 RXD 38461 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0968

Introduced 2/3/2005, by Rep. Wyvetter H. Younge

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

730 ILCS 5/3-14-1

from Ch. 38, par. 1003-14-1

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that prior to release of a person on parole, mandatory release, final discharge or pardon the Department of Corrections shall screen that person for Medicaid eligibility. Requires prison officials to assist an eligible person fill out a Medicaid application to ensure that the person begins receiving benefits immediately after his or her release.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning criminal law.

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

Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by changing Section 3-14-1 as follows:

(730 ILCS 5/3-14-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-14-1)

Sec. 3-14-1. Release from the Institution.

(a) Upon release of a person on parole, mandatory release, final discharge or pardon the Department shall return all property held for him, provide him with suitable clothing and procure necessary transportation for him to his designated place of residence and employment. It may provide such person with a grant of money for travel and expenses which may be paid in installments. The amount of the money grant shall be determined by the Department.

The Department of Corrections may establish and maintain, in any institution it administers, revolving funds to be known as "Travel and Allowances Revolving Funds". These revolving funds shall be used for advancing travel and expense allowances to committed, paroled, and discharged prisoners. The moneys paid into such revolving funds shall be from appropriations to the Department for Committed, Paroled, and Discharged Prisoners.

(a-1) Prior to release of a person on parole, mandatory release, final discharge or pardon the Department shall screen that person for Medicaid eligibility. Prison officials shall assist an eligible person fill out a Medicaid application to ensure that the person begins receiving benefits immediately after his or her release.

(b) (Blank).

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, the Department shall establish procedures to provide written notification of any release of any person who has been convicted of a felony to the State's Attorney and sheriff of the county from which the offender was committed, and the State's Attorney and sheriff of the county into which the offender is to be paroled or released. Except as otherwise provided in this Code, the Department shall establish procedures to provide written notification to the proper law enforcement agency for any municipality of any release of any person who has been convicted of a felony if the arrest of the offender or the commission of the offense took place in the municipality, if the offender is to be paroled or released into the municipality, or if the offender resided in the municipality at the time of the commission of the offense. If a person convicted of a felony who is in the custody of the Department of Corrections or on parole or mandatory supervised release informs the Department that he or she has resided, resides, or will reside at an address that is a housing facility owned, managed, operated, or leased by a public housing agency, the Department must send written notification of that information to the public housing agency that owns, manages, operates, or leases the housing facility. The written notification shall, when possible, be given at least 14 days before release of the person from custody, or as soon thereafter as possible.

(c-1) (Blank).

(d) Upon the release of a committed person on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge or pardon, the Department shall provide such person with information concerning programs and services of the Illinois Department of Public Health to ascertain whether such person has been exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or any identified causative agent of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

(e) Upon the release of a committed person on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon, the Department shall provide the person who has met the criteria established by the Department with an identification card identifying the person as being on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon, as the case may be. The Department, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of State, shall prescribe the form of the identification card, which may be similar to the form of the standard Illinois Identification Card. The Department shall inform the committed person that he or she may present the identification card to the Office of the Secretary of State upon application for a standard Illinois Identification Card in accordance with the Illinois Identification Card Act. The Department shall require the committed person to pay a $1 fee for the identification card.

For purposes of a committed person receiving an identification card issued by the Department under this subsection, the Department shall establish criteria that the committed person must meet before the card is issued. It is the sole responsibility of the committed person requesting the identification card issued by the Department to meet the established criteria. The person's failure to meet the criteria is sufficient reason to deny the committed person the identification card. An identification card issued by the Department under this subsection shall be valid for a period of time not to exceed 30 calendar days from the date the card is issued. The Department shall not be held civilly or criminally liable to anyone because of any act of any person utilizing a card issued by the Department under this subsection.

The Department shall adopt rules governing the issuance of identification cards to committed persons being released on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon.

(Source: P.A. 91-506, eff. 8-13-99; 91-695, eff. 4-13-00; 92-240, eff. 1-1-02.)