Rep. Wyvetter H. Younge

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the State's Attorney, or a person designated in writing or by law to act for the State's Attorney and to perform his or her duties during his or her absence or disability, may authorize, in writing, an ex parte application to the chief judge of a court of competent jurisdiction for an order authorizing the interception of a private communication (rather than a private oral communication) in specified cases. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Local Library Act and the Public Library District Act of 1991. Provides that certain contracts in excess of $20,000 (now, $10,000) must be let by competitive bidding. Effective immediately.

Amends the Technology Development Act. Creates a Technology Development Fund for use by the State Treasurer in paying the expenses of investments from the Technology Development Account. Permits the State Treasurer to use any excess for grants to schools to buy computers and to upgrade technology. Permits the State Treasurer to deposit up to 10% of the earnings on Account investments into the Fund. Effective immediately.

Creates the Home Care Consumer and Worker Protection Act. If an agency places a home care worker with a consumer to provide home care services, requires the agency to give the worker and the consumer a notice setting forth the rights and responsibilities of each of them as well as appropriate phone numbers and addresses of the Department on Aging. Provides that the Act does not apply to nursing homes, home health agencies, and certain other agencies. Provides that an agency subject to the Act must comply with the Health Care Worker Background Check Act and must ensure that every home care worker placed by the agency for hire by a consumer has the appropriate credentials and is appropriately licensed or certified as required by law. Authorizes the Department on Aging to investigate complaints of violations of the Act, issue cease-and-desist orders, and seek injunctive relief. Provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 per day for each day that a violation continues. Effective January 1, 2006.

Creates the Firearms Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Makes a technical change to a Section concerning the definitions of "Director" and "Department".

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides for various enhanced penalties for assaulting or harming an emergency management worker that is acting in the course of performing his or her official duties or in retaliation for performing his or her official duties. Creates the offense of obstructing an emergency management worker. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to provide that a person convicted of the first degree murder of an emergency management worker in the course of performing his or her official duties or in retaliation for performing his or her official duties shall be sentenced to a term of natural life imprisonment. Effective January 1, 2006.

Amends the School Code. Allows a school board to excuse pupils in grades 9 through 12 from engaging in physical education courses if those pupils must utilize the time set aside for physical education to receive special education support and services. Changes requirements with regard to a physical education course of study. Requires a physical education course of study to provide students with an opportunity for an appropriate amount of daily physical activity. Requires a physical education course of study to be part of the regular school curriculum and not extra-curricular in nature or organization. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a State goal that all school districts have a wellness policy that is consistent with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Requires the Department of Public Health and the State Board to form an interagency working group to publish model wellness policies and sample programs. Requires the State Board to establish a pilot project to implement model wellness policies. Creates the School Wellness Policy Taskforce to identify barriers to implementing wellness policies, recommend how to reduce those barriers, recommend statewide school nutrition standards, and evaluate the effectiveness of wellness policies. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the Spring mandate waiver report the State Board of Education files with the General Assembly shall be filed before each March 1 (instead of May 1). Gives the General Assembly 60 days (instead of 30 days) to disapprove the report in whole or in part. Makes an exception to the daily physical education requirement on block scheduled days if a school is engaged in block scheduling.