Amends the Voluntary Payroll Deductions Act of 1983. Requires the solicitation of State and university employees hired after the official solicitation period, by providing them with the most recent campaign information. Effective immediately.
Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that no person may operate a child care facility, receive a license to operate a child care facility, be employed by a child care facility, or live as an adult in a child care facility, if the person has been declared a sexually dangerous person under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act or a sexually violent person under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or convicted of committing or attempting to commit specified offenses. Provides an exception if specified criteria are met. Defines "child care facility" for the purposes of the provision concerning background investigations. Effective immediately.
Amends the Children's Health Insurance Program Act to extend the sunset date for the Act from July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2006. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Repeals provisions concerning the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program. Provides instead that the State Board of Education shall make reading improvement grants to school districts in order to improve the reading and study skills of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade (from a separate appropriation made for these purposes). Provides that the State Board may use up to 2% of the appropriation for the purpose of providing teacher training and retraining. Provides that of the remaining funds (i) up to the first $5,000,000 in new funds in the 2003-2004 school year shall be distributed to districts serving grades 7 through 12 and (ii) the remainder of the appropriation shall be distributed to districts serving kindergarten through grade 6. Includes provisions concerning application requirements, reporting assessment results, eligibility in the third or subsequent years, requirements for the use of grants, and reporting results to the General Assembly. Effective July 1, 2003.
Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Extends the partial exemption from the taxes imposed by these Acts on gasohol to December 31, 2013 (now ends on July 1, 2003), gradually reducing the partial exemption to zero after December 31, 2013. Partially exempts E85 blend fuel and bio-diesel blend fuel in the same amount and according to the same schedule as gasohol. Provides that if, at any time, the tax under these Acts on gasohol, E85 blend fuel, and bio-diesel blend fuel is imposed at 1.25%, then the partial exemption of the tax on those items does not apply during that time. Effective immediately.
Recognizes the African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society of Illinois.
Directs the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to assess energy conservation measures taken at each of the State's public universities since 1995 and report its findings to the General Assembly.
Creates the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Provides that no employer may discriminate between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages solely on the basis of the employee's gender. Prohibits retaliatory discharge or discrimination against an employee on the basis of the employee's use of the Act and provides for penalties for violations of the Act, including a Class B misdemeanor for retaliatory discharge or discrimination by the employer. Provides that the Director of Labor shall administer and enforce the Act. Provides that every employer subject to the Act shall preserve specified records for not less than 3 years. Provides that every employer covered by the Act shall post a notice summarizing the requirements of the Act. Provides that the Department of Labor shall conduct ongoing outreach and education efforts concerning the Act.
Congratulates Richard "Ike" Boyd on his retirement after 51 years of service with the Lovington Fire Protection District.
Mourns the combat death in Iraq of Private Jonathan Gifford, United States Marine Corps, of Decatur.
