Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that in a first degree murder case, if the issue is raised by the defendant, the jury (or court if the defendant is tried by the court) shall determine whether the defendant is mentally retarded. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a person is unfit to be executed if the person is mentally retarded. Establishes procedures for raising the question of the defendant's mental retardation at the defendant's sentencing hearing or after the pronouncement of the death sentence. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code and the Property Tax Code. Creates the Office of Tax Administration within the office of the Cook County treasurer for the purpose of consolidating all functions of county government related to tax administration, except those functions exercised by the county recorder. Transfers to the treasurer (i) all functions, duties, and powers and all employees, records, and property of the assessor and (ii) all tax administration-related functions, duties, and powers and certain employees, records, and property of the clerk and auditor. Provides that the county assessor elected in 2002 shall serve as an advisor to the treasurer on all tax-related matters. Provides that no vacancy in the office of assessor shall be filled, either by election or appointment.
Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning classifying and filling positions.
Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department to develop and implement a child care capital investment program. Provides that the program's purposes are (1) to assess the need for additional licensed child care providers in low-income communities, (2) to provide planning and technical assistance to prepare child care providers for making capital investments, and (3) to provide grants as part of a financing package to build new child care capacity in high-need communities throughout the State. Effective immediately.
Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board to determine the type of extended health insurance coverage that State universities must offer to recent graduates. Provides that the coverage must be similar to what the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provides for workers. Requires each State university to offer this standard extended health insurance coverage to its recent graduates.
Amends the Small Business Advisory Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the small business advisory web pages site.
Creates the Wireless Telephone Users Consumer Protection Act. Requires wireless telephone service providers to provide the terms of a plan or contract for wireless telephone service and other specified information to consumers before any service is offered and to include the information in a publication and advertising. Provides requirements for extension, modification, or rescission of wireless telephone service contracts. Provides for enforcement by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Allows the Attorney General and State's Attorneys to bring a civil action and obtain injunctive relief to enforce the provisions of the Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a violation of the Wireless Telephone Users Consumer Protection Act an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of State Police Law within the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois; also amends the Illinois Police Training Act, the State Mandates Act, and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Department of State Police to provide training to State Police officers concerning sensitivity toward racial and ethnic differences. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to provide for similar training for probationary police officers. Provides for a 4-year traffic stop statistical study based on information that must be recorded on the face of a uniform traffic citation, warning citation, or uniform stop card by State and local law enforcement officers. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Sets forth restrictions on the disposal of covered electronic devices. Creates the Electronics Recovery and Recycling Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury. Sets forth fees that must be paid by a retailer upon the sale of certain electronic products and requires that the moneys from the fees be deposited into the Fund. Sets forth the purposes for which the moneys in the Fund may be used. Requires retailers of electronic products to file a quarterly return concerning the fees for the sale of electronic products. Sets forth the procedures for the Department of Revenue's collection of the fees. Provides that any retailer who: fails to make a return; makes a fraudulent return; or willfully violates any rule or regulation of the Department of Revenue for the administration and enforcement of the fee is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to submit a report to the General Assembly before January 1, 2008 concerning the recycling of electronic products. Authorizes the Agency to propose regulations for a program requiring manufacturers to accept for disposal any electronic product that they have manufactured. Establishes an advisory committee concerning electronic products. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Electronics Recovery and Recycling Fund. Effective January 1, 2005.
Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Eliminates the 100-day TRS membership waiting period for persons receiving a retirement annuity under the Chicago Teacher Article. Permits certain teachers who interrupted service under the Chicago Teacher Article because of pregnancy to purchase TRS credit for the period of leave. Incorporates the 2.2% retirement formula into the calculation of the single-sum retirement benefit. Combines the Members' Contribution Reserve and the Employer's Contribution Reserve into a single new Benefit Trust Reserve. Provides for participation in the System by current System employees who elect to participate after a change in position. Provides that a member who elects to receive an optional increase in retirement annuity may make the required contributions in installments over a 24-month period regardless of when the member becomes an annuitant (currently the member must become an annuitant before June 30, 2003). Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a military discharge form (DD 214) issued by the United States government and filed with a county recorder is not a public record and is not subject to public inspection. Provides that, upon request by the veteran designated on the form or a person designated by the veteran, the recorder shall expunge the record of the military discharge form from the record of the recorder and replace the record with a form containing only the name of the veteran, the date of his or her discharge, and the date the original form was issued.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Grants quick-take powers to Kankakee County and Sangamon County for the acquisition of the specified property for road construction and maintenance.
