Rep. Jerry F. Costello, II

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Illinois Veteran Grant Program. Provides that a person is a qualified applicant for a grant if, among other qualifications, the person returned to this State within one year (instead of 6 months) after leaving federal active duty service or, if married to a person in continued military service stationed outside this State, returned to this State within one year (instead of 6 months) after his or her spouse left service or was stationed within this State.

Amends the Military Code of Illinois. Changes the required grade for the position of Adjutant General from Major General to Lieutenant General. Provides that the Adjutant General shall serve as both the Director of the Department of Military Affairs and as the Commander of the Illinois National Guard; makes a conforming change. In the Section concerning the Department of Military Affairs' power to make grants from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, provides that the Department has the power to make grants to (1) members of the Illinois National Guard or Illinois residents who are members of the reserves of the armed forces of the United States who have been called to active duty as a result of an emergency declared by the President or Congress or as defined by administrative rule of the Department (rather than as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks) and (2) members of the Illinois National Guard who have been called to State Active Duty for 30 or more consecutive days of duty; makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Financial Institutions Elder Abuse Reporting Act. Provides that a financial institution shall make an abuse report if an employee of the financial institution (i) has direct contact with an elder adult or reviews or approves an elder adult's financial documents, records, or transactions in connection with financial services provided by the financial institution to or for the elder adult, and (ii) observes or obtains knowledge of behavior, unusual circumstances, or transactions that leads the employee to know or have reasonable cause to suspect that the elder adult is the victim of financial abuse. Provides that an abuse report made under the Act is confidential. Provides that a financial institution shall establish and implement a training program to (i) assist employees in recognizing signs of potential financial abuse of an elder adult and (ii) inform employees about the requirement to file abuse reports provided by the Act. Provides for civil penalties for failure to file an abuse report.

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Deletes provision prohibiting a licensee from knowingly carrying a firearm into a building or real property that has been issued a Special Event Retailer's license during the time designated for the sale of alcohol by the Special Event Retailer's license, or a Special use permit license during the time designated for the sale of alcohol by the Special use permit license. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers of the Department.

Amends the Recreational Trails of Illinois Act. Provides that the operator of an off-highway vehicle shall not be required to display an Off-Highway Vehicle Usage Stamp if the off-highway vehicle is operated on any private land with the permission of the land owner. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 relating to the offense of disorderly conduct at a funeral or memorial service. Increases the time that a specified place can be considered a "funeral site" from 30 minutes before and after a funeral to one hour before and after. Increases the distance from which the conduct at the funeral or memorial service is prohibited from 300 feet to 1,000 feet of any ingress or egress of the funeral site. Effective immediately.

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Strikes a clause preventing provisions of ordinances from being invalid when they impose greater restrictions or limitations on the acquisition, possession and transfer of firearms than are imposed by this Act. Provides that regulation of the ownership and possession of firearms and related items are the exclusive powers of the State. Provides that a local government may not require registration, reporting of the sale or transfer of a firearm, or may not keep a firearms registry. Provides that any existing or future local ordinances or resolutions imposing any registration requirement on firearms and related items are invalid or void. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Reduces the rate of tax on corporations to 4.8% for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2013. Makes corresponding changes concerning transfers from the General Revenue Fund to the Local Government Distributive Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Noxious Weed Law. Provides that the governing body of each county may (previously was "shall") carry out the duties and responsibilities vested in it under the Act with respect to land under its jurisdiction in accordance with rules prescribed by the Department of Agriculture. Provides that those duties may (previously was "shall") include the establishment, under the general direction of the governing body of each county, of a coordinated program for control and eradication of noxious weeds within the county. Effective immediately.