Rep. Lisa Hernandez

Amends the School Code. Requires grantees under the Preschool for All Children program to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the appropriate local Head Start agency no later than 3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the program and, in the case of the 2009-2010 program year, no later than the deadline set by the State Board of Education for applications to participate in the program in fiscal year 2011. Sets forth certain issues that the memorandum must address. Suspends the memorandum of understanding requirement if the local Head Start agency is unable or unwilling to enter into the memorandum. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony for a child sex offender to knowingly operate, whether authorized to do so or not, any vehicle or specific type of vehicle, including, but not limited to, an ice cream truck or authorized emergency vehicle, for the purpose of attracting or enticing a person under 18 years of age to be in the presence of the offender. Provides that it is a defense that the offender was the parent of the person under 18 years of age in the offender's presence. 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 School Code. Creates the Innovation, Intervention, and Restructuring Task Force for the purpose of developing strategies to allow for the innovation, intervention, and restructuring of schools, including those that need comprehensive or focused intervention. Requires the task force to submit its strategies for allowing intervention and innovation, in the form of recommendations, in a comprehensive report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the State Superintendent of Education not later than December 31, 2009. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act concerning the credit for wages paid to qualified veterans. Extends the credit to also apply to wages paid to qualified veterans who did not serve on active duty in Southwest Asia. Increases the amount of the credit to (i) 10% (but in no event to exceed $1,200) of the gross wages paid to qualified veterans who served on active duty in Southwest Asia and (ii) 7.5% (but in no event to exceed $800) of the gross wages paid to all other qualified veterans.

Amends the Illinois Migrant Labor Camp Law. Provides that licenses shall be issued prior to operation (instead of upon a calendar year basis). Effective immediately.

Amends the Personnel Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Urges President Obama, the Illinois congressional delegation, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation to take immediate action to increase the personal net worth limitation in the DBE program to $2 million, remove the cap on DBE gross receipts to reflect the applicable SBA size standards, and adopt the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences' model disparity study methodology.

Congratulates Lori Lelis on the occasion of becoming the first woman to hold the position of Superintendent of Police for the Town of Cicero and thanks her for her dedication to law enforcement and keeping families safe in her community.