Creates the Illinois Early Learning Council Act. Establishes the Illinois Early Learning Council to coordinate existing State programs and services for children from birth to 5 years of age in order to better meet the early learning needs of children and their families. Provides for the appointment of members to the Council who represent both public and private organizations and who shall serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis.
Amends the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act. Includes in the definition of "course or pattern of criminal activity", acts of criminal defacement of property if the defacement includes a sign or other symbol intended to identify the streetgang.
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that a minor subject to a delinquency petition filed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 alleging that the minor is a delinquent minor for the commission of an offense that if committed by an adult would be a felony is ineligible for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card. Provides that the ineligibility continues through adulthood.
Amends the Civic Center Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning a civic center authority's power to incur obligations.
Creates the Health Care Facility Insolvency Act. Contains only a short title provision.
Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that the highway commissioner of a road district has authority to build alleys and bike paths in unincorporated communities, using any funds belonging to the road district in which that community is located. Provides that a highway commissioner has the same authority regarding all curbs and sidewalks in those communities (rather than only those curbs and sidewalks constructed as an integral part of a highway improvement project). Provides that a highway authority may convey a vacated highway or portion of a highway under its jurisdiction to a township road district which has petitioned for vacation of the highway and intends to use it as an alley or a designated bike path. Effective immediately.
Amends the Election Code and the Counties Code. Authorizes advisory referenda concerning (i) the number of members of the county board to be elected, (ii) whether the board members should be elected from single-member districts, multi-member districts, or at-large, (iii) whether voters will have cumulative voting rights in the election of county board members, or (iv) any combination of the preceding 3 questions. Provides that the advisory referenda may be initiated by an ordinance of the county board or by a petition containing the signatures of 3% of the registered voters of the county. Removes this type of advisory referendum from the general limit of 3 public questions per ballot. Provides that voters may have cumulative voting rights in the election of county board members in multi-member districts or at-large elections. Provides that questions concerning whether the board members should be elected from single-member districts, multi-member districts, or at-large, including whether voters have cumulative voting rights, may be decided by a referendum or by ordinance (now, only by ordinance). Provides that, if the method is determined by referendum, the referendum requires the signatures of at least 3% of the registered voters and it cannot be changed by ordinance for 12 years. Provides that, if a county board determines that members shall be elected by districts, the county board shall specify whether voters will have cumulative voting. Effective immediately.
Creates the Small Business Advisory Act. Requires State agencies to create and make available on the World Wide Web a small business advisory page. Requires agencies to post a plain language explanation of proposed and adopted rules and legislation that the agency is designated to administer that affect small businesses on its small business advisory web page. Provides that the explanation must remain posted on the web page for 6 months after the effective date of the rule or legislation. Requires each agency to notify the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs when it updates its small business advisory web page. Requires the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs to serve as a clearinghouse for notifying the small business community of rulemakings and to seek input from the small business community on those rulemakings. Requires the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs to maintain a small business advisory web page that serves as a coordinated point of access to other agencies' small business advisory web pages. Requires State agencies to post plain language versions of advisory opinions and interpretations on their small business advisory web pages.
Creates the State Prohibition of Goods from Forced Labor Act. Provides that each contract entered into by a State agency for the procurement of equipment, materials, or supplies must specify that any foreign-made goods produced under the contract were not made by forced, convict, or indentured labor. Provides that a contractor who violates this provision shall be subject to suspension or a monetary penalty and the State may void the contract.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act by creating a tax checkoff for the Leukemia Treatment and Education Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Fund. Amends the Department of Human Services Act to provide that the Department may provide grants to public or private hospitals, medical centers, medical schools, and other organizations for education on and treatment of leukemia from appropriations to the Department from the Leukemia Treatment and Education Fund. Effective immediately.
Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that the board of trustees of a fire protection district may impose reasonable civil penalties on individuals who repeatedly cause false fire alarms.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the corporate authorities of each municipality may fix, charge, and collect fees not exceeding the reasonable cost of all fire protection services rendered by the municipality against non-resident persons, businesses, and other entities. Provides that such charge may not be assessed against residents of the municipality or persons who request fire protection coverage for an unprotected area and who pay the municipality an amount equal to the municipality's fire protection tax pursuant to Section 11-7-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the charge for such services shall not exceed $125 per hour per vehicle and shall not exceed $35 per hour per firefighter responding to a call for assistance. Provides that an additional charge may be levied to reimburse the municipality for extraordinary expenses of materials used in rendering such services. Provides that no charge shall be made for services for which the total charge would be less than $50. Provides that all revenue from these charges assessed pursuant to this Section shall be deposited into the general fund of the municipality. Effective immediately.
