Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 to increase the minimum penalties for unauthorized video recording and unauthorized live transmission of another person without that person's consent from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Finance Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any balance remaining in the Motor Vehicle License Plate Fund at the close of business on June 30, 2005 shall be transferred into the Road Fund and that the Motor Vehicle License Plate Fund is abolished when that transfer has been made. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2005, of the moneys collected for each certificate of title, duplicate certificate of title, and connected certificate of title, $52 shall be deposited into the Road Fund. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act. Provides that a recipient of Program grants must be constructing, modifying, altering, or retrofitting an (i) ethanol plant (now, just plant) that has annual production capacity of no less than 30,000,000 gallons of renewable fuel per year or a (ii) biodiesel plant. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and administer grant programs including: the Illinois Renewable Fuels Majority Blended Ethanol Program, the Illinois Corn Grain to Fuel Research Consortium Assistance Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Corn-to-Hydrogen Fuel Cell Research Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Biodiesel Infrastructure Grant Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Ethanol Development Intergovernmental Assistance Program. Sets forth the purposes and conditions for these grant programs. Provides that subject to appropriation (now, subject to appropriation from the Build Illinois Bond Fund), the Director is authorized to award Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund grants. Sets forth that the annual aggregate amount for these grants shall not exceed $25,000,000 in Fiscal year 2007 and 2008 and $15,000,000 thereafter (now, may not exceed $15,000,000). Specifies how these grant funds shall be allocated. Sets forth certain limitations on spending on the various Program grants including for research conducted at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Facility at SIU-Edwardsville not to exceed $1,000,000 annually, and a one-time grant in FY 2007 not to exceed $3,000,000 for construction, remodeling, and expansion of the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Facility at SIU-Edwardsville. Provides that normal operating and execution of renewable fuels programs in existence on January 1, 2006 within the Department from the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund shall not exceed $5,000,000 annually. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury to fund these grant programs. Sets forth certain conditions for the operation of this Fund. Provides for certain annual payments from the General Revenue Fund to the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, to provide that on or after July 1, 2006 and on or before June 30, 2016, those tax rates apply to 90% of the proceeds of sales made on gasohol (now, apply to 80% of the proceeds of sales made on gasohol). Amends the Motor Fuel and Petroleum Standards Act to provide that beginning January 1, 2008 a minimum of 10% of all motor fuel sold or offered for sale in Illinois must be denatured ethanol and that beginning January 1, 2012 a minimum of 15% of all motor fuel sold or offered for sale in Illinois must be denatured ethanol. Effective July 1, 2006.
Amends the Public Funds Deposit Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning deposits.
Creates the Consumer Protection Fuel Price Gouging Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any motor-fuel vendor to sell or offer to sell motor fuel within the State at a price that is increased because of the vendor's knowledge of a perceived disruption in the motor-fuel market. An increase in the price of motor fuel is rebuttably presumed to be based upon the vendor's knowledge of a perceived disruption in the motor-fuel market if: (1) the increased amount charged over any 7-day period represents a gross disparity between the average price at which the motor fuel was readily obtainable within the vendor's trade area during the previous 45 days; and (2) the increase in the amount charged is not attributable to cost factors to the vendor, including replacement costs, taxes, and transportation costs incurred by the vendor. Provides that a violation of this Act constitutes a violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, but nothing in this Act creates a private cause of action in favor of any person damaged by a violation of this Act. Requires the Attorney General to investigate a motor-fuel vendor if the Attorney General receives 5 or more complaints against that motor-fuel vendor alleging violations of this Act. Preempts home rule. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make corresponding changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that appropriation bills must be posted on the General Assembly's web site 72 hours before final passage and that legislative member initiatives in an appropriation bill may not exceed 1% of the total appropriations under the bill. Defines "legislative member initiative". Effective immediately.
Creates the Consumer Protection Fuel Price Gouging Act. Provides that, upon a declaration of disaster by the Governor, it is unlawful for any motor-fuel vendor to sell or offer to sell motor fuel within the State at a price that is increased because of the vendor's knowledge of a perceived disruption in the motor-fuel market. An increase in the price of motor fuel during the period of a disaster declaration is rebuttably presumed to be based upon the vendor's knowledge of a perceived disruption in the motor-fuel market if: (1) the amount charged represents a gross disparity between the price at which the motor fuel was readily obtainable within the vendor's trade area during the 7 days immediately before the disaster declaration; and (2) the increase in the amount charged is not attributable to cost factors to the vendor, including replacement costs, taxes, and transportation costs incurred by the vendor. Provides that a violation of this Act constitutes a violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, but nothing in this Act creates a private cause of action in favor of any person damaged by a violation of this Act, but individuals may complain to the Attorney General. Preempts home rule. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make corresponding changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. In provisions concerning the 5 State-funded retirement systems, deletes language specifying dollar amounts for the State contribution to each System required for FY 2007 and provides that the minimum contribution to the systems to be made by the State for each fiscal year shall be an amount determined by the systems to be sufficient to bring the total assets of the systems up to 90% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System by the end of State fiscal year 2056 (was by the end of State fiscal year 2045). Changes how certain calculations related to the required State contributions are made. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the retirement systems must re-certify, on or before July 1, 2006, the amount of the required State contribution for FY 2007, taking into account the changes made by this amendatory Act. In the State Employee Article of the Illinois Pension Code, provides that increases as a result of certain early retirement incentives shall not be included in the calculation of the required State contribution under that Article, but shall be appropriated separately. Effective immediately.
Amends the Election Code. Eliminates separate primary ballots for different political parties. Requires that all candidates for all offices appear on a universal primary ballot. Permits a primary voter, without specifying party affiliation, to vote for candidates from more than one party. Prohibits voting for more than one candidate for each office unless otherwise authorized by law.
Amends the Compensation Review Act. Provides that it is the policy of the State to provide compensation parity between those State employees who are subject to a collective bargaining agreement and those who are not. Requires the Board to enforce that policy by evaluating the compensation of all State employees and reporting its findings and recommendations in its biennial reports. Effective immediately.
