DOWNSTATE HEALTH ACT-FUND Senate SponsorsSen. John G. Mulroe House Sponsors(Rep. La Shawn K. Ford-Mary E. Flowers) 8/18/2014SenatePublic Act . . . . . . . . . 98-1006 410 ILCS 65/5.5Amends the Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act. Provides that moneys from fees shall be deposited into the Rural/Downstate Health Access Fund. Provides that moneys in the Rural/Downstate Health Access Fund may be used for programs for the medically underserved. Provides that fees may be collected by the Center for Rural Health and deposited into the Fund for the purpose of administering the J-1 Visa Waiver Program for international medical graduates and that the fees shall be dedicated to funding the J-1 Visa Waiver Program and may not be subject to the Fund's distribution formula. Makes other changes.Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the introduced bill with the following changes. Deletes the provision that fees may be collected by the Center for Rural Health and deposited into the Fund for the purpose of administering the J-1 Visa Waiver Program for international medical graduates and that the fees shall be dedicated to funding the J-1 Visa Waiver Program. Provides instead that the Center for Rural Health at the Department of Public Health may require that a J-1 Visa Waiver Program application fee be collected from international medical graduates for the purpose of administering the Program. Provides that J-1 Visa Waiver Program application fees shall be deposited into the Rural/Downstate Health Access Fund and shall be dedicated to the administration of the J-1 Visa Waiver Program in Illinois. 2/14/2014SenateFiled with Secretary by Sen. John G. Mulroe 2/14/2014SenateFirst Reading 2/14/2014SenateReferred to Assignments 3/5/2014SenateAssigned to Public Health 3/20/2014SenatePostponed - Public Health 3/20/2014SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. John G. Mulroe 3/20/2014SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments 3/25/2014SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Public Health 3/25/2014SenateSenate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted 3/26/2014SenateDo Pass as Amended Public Health; 007-002-000 3/26/2014SenatePlaced on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 27, 2014 3/27/2014SenateSecond Reading 3/27/2014SenatePlaced on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 1, 2014 4/2/2014SenateThird Reading - Passed; 043-013-000 4/3/2014HouseArrived in House 4/3/2014HouseChief House Sponsor Rep. La Shawn K. Ford 4/3/2014HouseFirst Reading 4/3/2014HouseReferred to Rules Committee 4/23/2014HouseAssigned to Health Care Availability and Accessibility Committee 5/15/2014HouseDo Pass / Short Debate Health Care Availability and Accessibility Committee; 007-000-000 5/16/2014HousePlaced on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate 5/21/2014HouseSecond Reading - Short Debate 5/21/2014HousePlaced on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate 5/22/2014HouseAdded Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary E. Flowers 5/23/2014HouseThird Reading - Short Debate - Passed 069-040-001 5/23/2014SenatePassed Both Houses 6/20/2014SenateSent to the Governor 8/18/2014SenateGovernor Approved 8/18/2014SenateEffective Date January 1, 2015 8/18/2014SenatePublic Act . . . . . . . . . 98-1006