Rep. Brandon W. Phelps

Congratulates the Nature Conservancy, Illinois Chapter, on celebrating its 50 year anniversary.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the sexual exploitation of children.

Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 in the Public Utilities Act. Changes the definition of "mandatory transition period" to include the period from the effective date through the date on which the Illinois Commerce Commission has approved declarations of competitive service for all classes of service offered in the service areas of all electric utilities that, on December 31, 2005, served at least 100,000 but fewer than 2 million residential customers. Requires the Commission to order certain utilities to file and implement tariffs to reinstate all 2006 rates beginning on the first day of the month immediately following the effective date. Prohibits the Commission from taking certain actions prior to 6 months after the effective date with respect to (i) initiating, authorizing, or ordering any change by way of increase or (ii) in approving an application for a merger, imposing a condition requiring any filing for an increase, decrease, or change in or other review of a utility's rates or enforcing such a condition. Provides that the Commission shall only declare the class of service to be competitive according to certain criteria (now, the Commission is required to declare the service to be competitive if the service or a reasonably equivalent substitute is available at a reasonable price from other providers other than the utility or an affiliate and the utility has lost or is reasonably likely to lose business for service to other providers). Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Provides that a private development is qualified to become and is an enterprise zone and eligible for all the benefits of an enterprise zone if it (i) achieves certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building and sensible growth guidelines, standards, or systems, and (ii) is selected through a request for proposals by the Capital Development Board. Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board shall issue a request for proposals by December 31, 2008 to select 3 model private developments that are designated by specified organizations as achieving certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building and sensible growth guidelines on a neighborhood scale. Provides that the model projects shall be designated as such to receive the benefits attained through Illinois Enterprise Zones for a period of 5 years.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code, School Code, Child Passenger Protection Act, and Unified Code of Corrections. Makes various changes regarding: driver education requirements; graduated driver's licenses; instruction permits for minors; curfews for drivers under a specified age; the number of passengers under a specified age allowed in a vehicle driven by a newly licensed driver under a certain age; the use of seat safety belts; the use of wireless telephones by graduated driver's license holders; suspensions of driver's licenses of drivers under age 21 under specified circumstances; required appearances before the presiding judge with a parent or guardian under specified circumstances; vehicle impoundment for drivers arrested for street racing; and other matters. Repeals provisions creating the offense of drag racing. Creates the offenses of street racing and aggravated street racing, and makes conforming changes. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2008, except that the provisions amending the School Code are effective July 1, 2008.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Exempts the use or sale of certain aircraft and aircraft parts and materials. Provides that the sunset provisions under the Acts do not apply to these exemptions. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that if a new school district is formed through the consolidation of pre-existing school districts or a school district is annexed to another school district, then the educational support personnel of the pre-existing school districts or of the annexed school district must be transferred to and shall become employees of the new or annexing district, as the case may be, and these employees must be credited with the length of their continuous service that they held prior to their transfer. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Creates the Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council Act. Creates the Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council. Sets forth the membership of the Council and the terms of the members. Sets forth the powers and duties of the Council.

Amends the Illinois Hunting Heritage Protection Act. Provides that land management decisions of the Department of Natural Resources may not, to the extent practical, result in any net loss of habitat (now, land acreage) available for hunting opportunities. Effective immediately.