Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that a private evaluator or expert retained by or on behalf a parent or guardian shall be afforded reasonable and unimpeded access to educational personnel, facilities, classrooms, and buildings and to the child for the purpose of conducting any appropriate interviews, observations, assessments, tests, or evaluations of the child and of the child's current or proposed educational program, placement, and educational environment. Provides that a parent or guardian shall be afforded reasonable and unimpeded access to observe the child in his or her current or proposed educational program, placement, and educational environment. Provides that a parent or guardian who is a prevailing party in an impartial due process hearing or in a civil action may recover from an opposing party reasonable expert witness costs if the expert witness contributed to the relief obtained by the parent or guardian. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act. Provides that, in a municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, a day and temporary labor service agency may not operate or transact business at a location that is within 1,000 feet of a school building or a building in which a Boys and Girls Club is located or real property comprising a school or a Boys and Girls Club. Exempts a day and temporary labor service agency that registered with the Department of Labor before January 1, 2008 and received an occupancy permit from the municipality for that location before January 1, 2008. Defines "school" as a public or private pre-school, elementary school, or secondary school. Contains a home rule preemption.
Amends the School Code. With respect to the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, provides that not less than 11% (instead of exactly 11%) of the grant shall be used to fund programs for children ages 0-3. Provides that this percentage shall increase to at least 20% by Fiscal Year 2015, except that if, in a given fiscal year, the amount appropriated for the Early Childhood Education Block Grant is insufficient to increase the percentage of the grant to fund programs for children ages 0-3 without reducing the amount of the grant for existing providers of preschool education programs, then the percentage of the grant to fund programs for children ages 0-3 may be held steady instead of increased. Effective July 1, 2009.
Amends the Registered Titles (Torrens) Act. Deletes a provision concerning excess funds in a county indemnity fund that states that the county may transfer and expend excess indemnity fund monies for the benefit of real property owners as the county deems appropriate, if at least 50% of the excess monies are transferred to the lead poisoning prevention fund but the county may not expend excess indemnity fund monies for any purpose other than lead poisoning prevention until it first designs, implements, and starts making loan or grant payments under the lead poisoning prevention program. Provides that this amendatory Act does not preempt, rescind, modify, or revise any local, State, or federal laws or rules governing lead paint mitigation or abatement or lead poisoning prevention. Effective immediately.
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.
Amends the School Code. Establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma. Requires the State Board of Education to implement and administer the IHOPE Program. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall award grants to educational service regions and the Chicago school district from appropriated funds to assist in establishing instructional programs and other services designed to re-enroll high school dropouts. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for regional offices of education and the Chicago school district to develop partnerships with school districts, public community colleges, and community groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school dropouts in their regions or districts. Sets forth requirements for programs funded through the IHOPE Program. Provides for an IHOPE Plan, sub-grants, how funding is distributed, State aid, categories of programming, the evaluation of programs, and rules. Effective July 1, 2009.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that the offense of aggravated battery with a firearm is also committed if the firearm is discharged on school grounds at a person known to be a student and causes injury to that student. Provides for enhanced penalties for carrying or possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons in a conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a public transportation agency or on a public way within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising a public transportation facility. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that it is an aggravating factor in sentencing that the defendant committed an offense while the defendant or the victim was in a train, bus, or other vehicle used for public transportation.
Amends the Personnel Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning the Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD) program, eliminates a provision that financial aid for certain refugees or asylees who have become ineligible for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) shall be available until July 1, 2009. Provides that financial aid for such refugees or asylees shall be equal to 90% of the standard monthly SSI grant (instead of shall not exceed $500 per month). Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Provides that businesses that intend to establish a new wind power facility in Illinois may be considered "high impact businesses" and qualify for certain occupation tax exemptions. Exempts businesses that intend to establish new wind power facilities from provisions of the Act requiring applicants for designation as high impact businesses to provide the Department with (i) the prospective plan for which 1,500 full-time jobs would be eliminated if the business is not designated and (ii) proof of alternative non-Illinois sites which would receive the proposed investment and job creation if the business is not designated, and from provisions of the Act concerning revocation of high impact business status. Requires payment of prevailing hourly wages.