Rep. Robert F. Flider

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Prohibits an existing cable television franchise serving 1,000 or more customers from imposing a rate increase unless the franchise (i) gives its customers at least 60 days' notice, (ii) conducts a public hearing to determine the need for the rate increase at least 14 days after the notice is given, and (iii) publishes notice of the hearing (or, if located in a municipality, prints notice of the rate increase and public hearing on the customer's billing statement). Prohibits an existing cable television franchise with less than 1,000 customers from imposing a rate increase unless the franchise gives its customers at least 60 days' notice. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the application of ratemaking provisions of Article IX of the Act.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the corporate authorities of each municipality may provide for the extermination of pests (now, rats only). Defines "pests" to mean undesirable arthropods (including certain insects, spiders, mites, ticks, and related organisms), wood infesting organisms, rats, mice, birds, and any other obnoxious or undesirable animals. Effective January 1, 2004.

Amends the Income Withholding for Support Act. Requires a payor who has been served with an income withholding notice to withhold the specified amount from an obligee's wages. Provides that, if the payor fails to withhold the sums from the obligor's wages, the payor shall pay a penalty of $100 per day for each day, after the 7 business days grace period has expired, that the amount is not paid to the State Disbursement Unit. Makes the $100 per day penalty mandatory unless the payor is able to demonstrate the payor's compelling cause or justification for the payor's failure to withhold or failure to pay over withheld amounts to the State Disbursement Unit.

Amends the School Code. Provides that if a school district must close the schools or delay the start of the school day due to a threat to the health or safety of pupils, then a partial day of attendance may be counted as a full day of attendance. Effective July 1, 2003.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning a county board's use of tax moneys.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Adds to the list of circumstances under which grandparents, great-grandparents, or siblings can file a petition for visitation: (i) the deceased parent's last will and testament or a notarized document state that there shall be reasonable visitation; (ii) the grandparents, great-grandparents, or siblings demonstrate that they were an active part of the grandchild's life, with past routine visitation; (iii) the grandparents, great-grandparents, or sibling provided some care for the child prior to the initiation of the visitation proceedings; or (iv) the child wishes to have visitation with the grandparents, great-grandparents, or sibling. Provides that any grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling who has custody or is the legal guardian of a child shall not interfere with visitation privileges of the grandparents, great-grandparents, or siblings who are not the child's custodian or guardian if the court rules it is in the best interest of the child to have reasonable visitation.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in the State aid formula provisions concerning supplemental general State aid.

Urges the Commissioner of Baseball to reinstate George "Buck" Weaver as a member in good standing in professional baseball.