Designates the I-70 Mississippi River Bridge connecting Illinois to Missouri that is to be constructed at a later date, upon approval of the Illinois and Missouri State legislatures, as the Veterans Bridge.
Congratulates Illinois State Senator Frank Watson on his retirement from the Illinois Senate.
Amends the Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act. Permits a unit of local government to require homeowners who maintain a private sewage disposal system within the unit of local government to provide verification, on an annual basis, to the unit of local government of a valid contract with a licensed private sewage disposal system installation contractor. Effective immediately.
Congratulates the Metro-East Pharmacists Association members on the 50th anniversary as a professional pharmacy association in the State of Illinois.
Creates the Midwifery Licensure Act. Provides for the licensure of midwives by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Grants rulemaking authority to the Department and provides that the rules shall include the establishment of criteria for licensure, professional conduct, and discipline. Creates the Illinois Midwifery Board. Sets forth provisions concerning informed consent, qualifications, licensure, title, continuing education, exemption from civil liability, and vicarious liability. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to set a repeal date for the new Act of January 1, 2018. Amends the Good Samaritan Act to provide for the exemption from civil liability.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Authorizes the Agency to collect and solicit citizen complaints alleging a violation of the Act, any rule adopted under the Act, a permit granted by the Agency, or a condition of a permit via telephone, website, fax, mail, e-mail, or any other reasonable means. Provides that the Agency may accept citizen complaints that are anonymous and unaccompanied by the name and mailing address of the complainant, except that, for complaints alleging a violation arising out of agricultural production, the complainant must provide his or her name and mailing address. Sets forth that the Agency must keep the name and address of the complainant confidential, subject to certain penalties. Exempts the name and address of these complainants from public disclosure under provisions of the Act authorizing reasonable public inspection. Defines "agricultural production". Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of State Police, to develop a weapons safety program designed to protect children from the risk of gun-related death and injury. Provides that the program must be designed to teach children to follow an effective safety procedure when they are exposed to a gun and shall specifically warn children that contact with guns can result in serious injury or death. Provides that a school district may incorporate the weapons safety program into its curriculum. Requires the State Board of Education to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly as to the status of the program no later than January 1, 2009.
Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide coverage for autism spectrum disorders to the extent that the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders are not already covered by the policy or plan. Provides that this coverage shall be subject to a maximum benefit of $36,000 per year, but shall not be subject to any limits on the number of visits to an autism service provider. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in a proceeding in the prosecution of an offense of criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a court may order that the testimony of a victim who is a child under the age of 18 years or a moderately, severely, or profoundly mentally retarded person be taken outside the courtroom and shown in the courtroom by means of a videotape (presently just closed circuit television testimony is permitted). Provides that the parents or prosecuting attorney (presently the judge) must make the determination of whether to permit such out of court testimony. Eliminates exception for defendants who represent themselves pro se.
Amends the Election Code and the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a tax credit, for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2008 and on or before December 30, 2013, for individual taxpayers who, during the taxable year, vote in a general primary or general election. Provides that the amount of the credit is $50. Provides that the credit may not be carried forward or back and may not reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. Requires each election authority must mail, to each person who voted in a general primary or general election in the previous year for verification of eligibility for the tax credit. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
