Rep. Dan Reitz

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an electric utility shall file with the Illinois Commerce Commission, subject to approval by the Commission, plans to develop short-term and long-term fixed price purchases, spot acquisitions, and the use of financial hedges, and to provide power justly and prudently priced, as determined by the Commission's rate setting process, from an affiliate of the electric utility that owns electric generating units or stations. Provides that an electric utility shall use the plans to develop and submit to the Commission a diversified power procurement pricing strategy that considers the level of competitive options for each customer class. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a pupil who becomes non-resident during a grading period (instead of school term) shall not be charged tuition for the remainder of the grading period (instead of school term) in which he or she became a non-resident pupil, except that a pupil who began the school year as a resident pupil but becomes non-resident during that school year shall not be charged tuition for the remainder of the school year if he or she is graduating from high school that school year. Effective July 1, 2008.

Amends the Grain Code. With respect to warehouse receipts in electronic form, provides that "electronically" includes facsimile, electronic file, and e-mail.

Amends the Motor Fuel and Petroleum Standards Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Downstate Teachers Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, when assessing payment for any amount due for earnings increases in excess of 6%, the System shall exclude earnings increases as a result of accepting school-sponsored, extra-curricular assignments. Effective immediately.

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 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 Illinois Radon Awareness Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Article, provides that, beginning with Fiscal Year 2009, the State Board of Education shall reimburse school districts, other than the Chicago school district, for all costs incurred by those school districts for the education of children with disabilities. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code and the Counties Code. Provides that it is a State's Attorney's duty to notify the State Superintendent of Education upon the conviction of any individual known to possess a certificate issued under the School Code of any of certain offenses or any other felony conviction. In the criminal history records check provisions of the School Code, makes changes concerning the offenses for which a school board may not knowingly employ a person. Provides that no one may be certified to teach or supervise in the public schools who has been convicted of certain offenses (instead of providing that in determining good character, any felony conviction of an applicant may be taken into consideration, but such a conviction shall not operate as a bar to registration). In provisions concerning suspension or revocation of a certificate, provides that the State Superintendent of Education has the exclusive authority to initiate the suspension of up to 5 calendar years or revocation of any certificate (instead of providing that a certificate may be suspended for a period not to exceed one calendar year by the regional superintendent of schools or for a period not to exceed 5 calendar years by the State Superintendent). With respect to certificate suspension and revocation, makes changes concerning an investigation, notice, a hearing, an appeal, and the offenses that are grounds for suspension and revocation. Makes other changes.