Creates the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency must promulgate rules that set performance standards for ballast water discharge and the management of other vectors of aquatic invasive species introduced from ocean-going vessels into the Great Lakes. Sets forth that the Agency shall administer a permit program requiring the compliance of ocean-going vessels to the standards created by the Agency. Provides for the creation of an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund for use by the Agency for prevention, control, and reclamation efforts related to aquatic invasive species. Authorizes any person to bring a civil lawsuit for the enforcement of the provisions of the Act. Provides that the Agency shall suspend enforcement of the Act's provisions if a federal law is enacted after the effective date of the Act that requires ballast water management practices equivalent to or more restrictive than those required in the Act. Makes other changes.
Sponsored bills
Creates the Supreme Court Campaign Reform Act. Provides that candidates for the Supreme Court may apply for a public financing benefit in connection with their campaign. Sets the amount of the public financing benefit at $750,000 for the general primary and general election cycle. Sets requirements for qualifying for the public financing benefits. Limits the amount of private contributions qualified candidates may accept. Limits the amounts that non-participating candidates may accept from private sources during campaign periods to $1,000 in the aggregate. Provides that qualified candidates must be distributed a line of credit from the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund to be used for lawful political expenditures. Provides for the increase of the line of credit if non-complying candidates make certain expenditures. Sets penalties for violations of the Act. Provides that the Illinois Supreme Court may require attorneys to contribute money to the Fund not to exceed $25 annually. Contains other provisions. Amends the Election Code. Provides that a payment for electioneering communications is an "expenditure". Provides that a group that "accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 for the purpose of electioneering communications" is a political committee. Allows the Board of Elections to impose a fine against a committee that fails to report expenditures that could trigger matching funds under the Supreme Court Campaign Reform Act. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Requires the Department of Revenue to print on its standard individual income tax form a provision by which the taxpayer may make a contribution (not less than $1) to the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund. Amends the Clerk of the Courts Act. Requires circuit court clerks to transfer $1 from each appearance fee paid to the State Treasurer for deposit into the Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund and, to defray that expense, the county board may, by resolution, require the clerk of the circuit court in the county to charge and collect a Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund fee of not more than $1, which shall be paid at the time that any appearance fee is paid. Effective immediately.
Creates the Universal Access to Broadband Services Act. Requires the Department of Central Management Services to create and maintain a map of broadband infrastructure in the State. Sets forth that all publicly-held broadband infrastructure shall be available for lease, on a non-discriminatory basis, to any public, private, or non-profit entity. Requires CMS, in cooperation with the Broadband Deployment Council, to establish terms, conditions, procedures, and pricing for lease of the publicly-held broadband infrastructure, taking into consideration sliding fee schedules based on the income and financial resources available to end users and the existence of other community benefits. Authorizes public, private, or non-profit entities seeking to lease publicly-held broadband infrastructure to aggregate customers or demand for broadband services, and to create regional and multi-jurisdictional entities that aggregate customers or demand for broadband services. Authorizes certain pilot projects to stimulate deployment of broadband services in 3 underserved areas of the State. Adds other provisions. Amends the Illinois Century Network Act to provide that the Illinois Century Network shall be available for lease, on a non-discriminatory basis, to any public, private, or non-profit entity pursuant to the Universal Access to Broadband Services Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Housing Authorities Act. Requires each housing authority to keep an accurate public account of all of its activities and of all receipts and expenditures and make an annual public report to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; requires the Department to submit to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the public an annual report that summarizes the annual reports of all the housing authorities. Provides that housing authorities, in the operation of their rental assistance programs, are to serve households with incomes of no more than 80% of the area median income. Adds definitions of "low-income household", very low-income household", "extremely low-income household", and "rental assistance program". Authorizes a housing authority to enter into a regional cooperative agreement with another housing authority or with a municipality. Provides that each housing authority is responsible for ensuring that its programs and activities are administered in a manner that will affirmatively further the goal of fair housing by examining its programs and proposed programs and identifying any impediments to fair housing choice within those programs and by taking other actions. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that all projects undertaken with the participation of the Illinois Finance Authority must have, as a condition of the contract or financing agreement, certain provisions relating to charity care, labor relations, and labor requirements. With respect to labor relations, provides that any contract or financing arrangement entered into with the Authority must include contract terms under which the employer agrees to: (1) enter into a labor peace agreement with a labor organization that requests such an agreement for the conduct of a campaign in which it seeks to represent the employer's employees in an appropriate bargaining unit or (2) if the parties are unable to agree to the terms of a labor peace agreement within 14 days of the commencement of negotiations, enter into final and binding arbitration in which the terms of a labor peace agreement will be imposed by an arbitrator. Sets forth provisions that must be included in a labor peace agreement. Provides that an employer may be exempt from these requirements under certain circumstances. Sets forth certain consequences for violating these required contract terms including termination of the contract under certain circumstances. Sets forth certain labor requirements for projects undertaken with the participation of the Illinois Finance Authority, including: (1) for all new construction, the employers, their contractors, and subcontractors shall pay their workforces fair and decent wages, (2) employers, their contractors, and subcontractors shall comply with all applicable labor laws, and (3) employers, their contractors, and subcontractors shall maintain, at all times, safe and healthful working conditions and abide by all applicable wage and hour regulations and prohibitions against child labor and conform to the standards set by the federal OSHA or a similar State agency. Adds other provisions.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall develop a program of transition services, with appropriate follow-up, in selected areas of the State, to be expanded statewide as funding becomes available, to provide assistance to persons who: (i) have been diagnosed with mental illness or a co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder; (ii) reside in a facility licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act or in an institution for mental diseases; and (iii) desire to move to and are able to reside in community residential placements that meet their needs and reflect their preferences. Provides that under the Medicaid program, the Department of Public Aid shall apply for any necessary waivers pursuant to the Social Security Act to facilitate transition services for persons with mental illness and to develop supportive living facilities for persons with mental illness. Provides that any such waiver application shall be developed in cooperation with the Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Health, the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, other State agencies as appropriate, operators of nursing facilities, and others. Effective immediately.
Creates the Uniform Parentage Act (2000). Provides rules for establishing a parent-child relationship, including rules for acknowledging and denying paternity. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to establish a registry of paternity, and requires that men who have timely registered be given notice of a proceeding for adoption or for termination of parental rights. Provides that the intentional, unauthorized release of information from the registry is a Class B misdemeanor. Provides rules for the genetic testing of a person to determine parentage, and makes the intentional, unauthorized release of an identifiable specimen a Class B misdemeanor. Provides rules for proceedings to adjudicate parentage, and authorizes the issuance of a temporary order for child support. Provides rules for determining the parentage of a child of assisted reproduction. Provides for the regulation of gestational agreements. Repeals the Illinois Parentage Act and the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984. Amends other Acts to make conforming changes.
Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a designated domestic partner to qualify as a surviving spouse for purposes of survivor and death benefits. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Creates the Family Leave Insurance Program Act. Establishes a Family Leave Insurance Program, administered by the Department of Employment Security, to provide paid leave to an employee who is unavailable to work: because the employee has to care for a newborn child or a newly-placed adopted or foster child; because the employee has to care for a family member (a child, spouse, parent, or parent-in-law of the employee or a person with whom the employee has resided in the same household for 6 months or longer) who has a serious health condition; or because of the employee's own serious health condition. Contains provisions regarding: applications and qualifications for benefits, certification by a healthcare provider of the need for leave; confidentiality; notices of intention to take leave; disqualification from benefits; duration of benefits; determination of benefit amounts; deductions from benefits; relationship of the Program to other benefits, programs, and contracts; rights of employees; opting out of participation in the Program; elective coverage under the Program; recordkeeping; successor employers; creation of a FLIP Account in the custody of the State Treasurer; payments by employers and employees; limits on expenditures; adoption of rules; taxation of benefits; discrimination; required postings regarding the Act and information pertaining to the filing of a charge; severability; and other matters. Effective January 1, 2007.
Amends the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning home rule powers.