Rep. William B. Black

Amends the Cigarette Tax Act, the Cigarette Use Tax Act, and the Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1995. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2005, a distributor may deduct the amount of bad debts from the tax imposed under these Acts. Provides that "bad debt" means the taxes attributable to any portion of a debt owed to the distributor that is related to a sale of cigarettes or tobacco products subject to tax under these Acts, that is not otherwise deductible or excludable, that has become worthless or uncollectible, and that meets other criteria. Effective immediately.

Amends the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption provisions in the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2007 and thereafter, the maximum amount to be reduced from the assessed value of the property is $2,500 in all counties (now, $2,500 in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and $2,000 in all other counties).

Amends the Illinois Public Accounting Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption provisions in the Property Tax Code. Provides that the maximum amount to be reduced from the assessed value of the property is $2,500 in all counties (now, $2,500 in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and $2,000 in all other counties). Amends the State Mandates Act to restate that the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption is exempt from the requirements of the State Mandates Act and further amends the Property Tax Code to state that the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption is exempt from the requirements of the State Mandates Act. Effective immediately.

Congratulates Dave Clark on the occasion of his retirement from the Department of Transportation after 28 years of public service.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Public Aid may not establish any formulary limits on, or restrict by any prior authorization requirement, any insulin prescription drug as prescribed and determined to be medically necessary for the treatment of diabetes. Effective July 1, 2004.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility offering unregulated sales of natural gas to an end-use customer within or outside its service area shall be subject to specified provisions of the Act with respect to such sales. Provides that a gas utility offering unregulated sales of natural gas to an end-use customer within or outside its service area shall not subsidize such sales through the utility's regulated business. Provides that a gas utility offering unregulated sales of natural gas to an end-use customer within or outside its service area shall not discriminate in the provision of regulated gas service based upon the existence or terms of an unregulated sale of natural gas. Provides that the Commission may require a gas utility to file reports regarding its unregulated sales of natural gas in the State and shall have access to, for the purpose of review, a gas utility's contracts for unregulated sales of natural gas. Effective immediately.

Congratulating Harold "Sparky" Songer, a 2004 Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award recipient.

Welcomes Illustrious Brother Walter E. Webber to Danville.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning reimbursement for a Board member's expenses.