Amends the Recreational Trails of Illinois Act with respect to the Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Fund. Requires 85% (now, 65%) of the money used from the Fund to be allocated for motorized recreation. Effective immediately.
Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that, to encourage continued service with the district, the board of trustees of a fire protection district has the express power to award monetary incentives, not to exceed $240 per year, to volunteer firefighters of the district. Provides that to be eligible for the incentives, the volunteer firefighters must have at least 5 years of service with the district. Provides that the amount of the incentives may not be greater than 2% of the annual levy amount when all incentive awards are combined.
Amends the Cigarette Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Amends the Military Leave of Absence Act. Requires payment of State compensation and benefits to full-time State employees while on active duty with the Illinois National Guard, the United States Armed Forces reserves, or the Illinois State Militia reserves. Reduces the employee's State compensation by the amount of active duty pay. Requires the Department of Central Management Services and the State Comptroller to coordinate in the development of applicable procedures.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Authorizes an attachment against the property of a debtor who has been referred by the Department of Corrections to the Attorney General (instead of who is a defendant in a suit brought by the Attorney General) in connection with the reimbursement of the Department for the expenses of the debtor's incarceration.
Amends the senior citizens homestead exemption provisions in the Property Tax Code. Provides that beginning with assessment year 2003, for taxes payable in 2004, property that is first occupied as a residence after January 1 of any assessment year by a person who is eligible for the senior citizens homestead exemption must be granted a pro-rata exemption for the assessment year. The amount of the pro-rata exemption is the senior citizens homestead exemption allowed in the county divided by 365 and multiplied by the number of days during the year the property is occupied as a residence by a person eligible for the exemption. The chief county assessment officer must adopt reasonable procedures to establish eligibility for the pro-rata exemption. 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.
Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that every person who qualifies for home-delivered meals under the federal Older Americans Act shall receive those services, subject to appropriation. Provides that by January 1 of each year, the Department on Aging shall provide the General Assembly and the Illinois Council on Aging estimates of the additional funds necessary to fund the program for the next fiscal year.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Deletes language providing that no person may drive a bus that has been chartered for the sole purpose of transporting students regularly enrolled in grade 12 or below to or from interscholastic athletic or interscholastic or school sponsored activities unless the person has a valid school bus driver permit in addition to any other permit or license that is required to operate that bus. Provides that a person may not drive a bus chartered for those purposes that does not meet specified requirements for school buses unless he or she has a commercial driver's license (CDL) with a school bus driver endorsement. Establishes requirements for obtaining a CDL school bus driver endorsement, including certain requirements that also pertain to school bus driver permits. Provides that the requirement of a CDL with a school bus driver endorsement (rather than of a school bus driver permit) does not apply to any bus driver employed by a public transportation provider authorized to conduct local or interurban transportation of passengers when the bus is not traveling a specific school bus route but is on a regularly scheduled route for the transportation of other fare paying passengers.
Amends the Counties Code. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning venue of actions by or against counties.
Amends the Counties Code. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning boundaries.
