Rep. Robert S. Molaro

Amends the Cook County and State Employee Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a controlled substance inspector employed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to transfer up to 15 years of service as an investigator with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office accumulated under the Cook County Article to the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois. Includes language exempting the changes from the new benefit increase provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of vehicular homicide. Provides that a person commits the offense if he or she unintentionally kills an individual or an unborn child while operating or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, motorcycle, snowmobile or watercraft, if the death is the proximate result of committing a violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code, Boat Registration and Safety Act, Wildlife Code, Fish and Aquatic Life Code, or Snowmobile Registration and Safety Act. Provides that a violation is a Class A misdemeanor. Provides that if either the driver or operator is not legally empowered to be driving or operating the vehicle, motorcycle, snowmobile, or watercraft or if the vehicle, motorcycle, snowmobile, or watercraft is operated illegally, the penalty is a Class 4 felony. Provides that a second or subsequent conviction is a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.

Creates the Firearms Accountability Act. Provides that whenever any person intentionally or negligently delivers or causes to be delivered a firearm, firearm ammunition, or silencer to: (1) any person who is not legally authorized to possess that item; (2) a person who is purchasing the item on behalf of another person; or (3) any other person the deliverer knows or has reason to know will use the item unlawfully; the deliverer shall thereafter be civilly liable for the commission of any subsequent tortious conduct that directly or indirectly involves the use, attempted use, or threatened use of the item by any person. Provides that a person bringing an action under the Act may be entitled to recover punitive damages if the conduct of the defendant that gave rise to the cause of action was either intentional, reckless, or grossly negligent. Provides that persons subject to liability under the Act are jointly and severally liable.

Amends the State Employee Article of the Pension Code to remove the Social Security offset against existing widow and survivor annuities and for all annuitants, beginning January 1, 2007. Provides that, after January 1, 2007, covered employees may elect to have the Social Security offset removed from their widows' or survivors' annuity by increasing their retirement contribution by 0.5%. Exempts the changes from the provisions of the Article concerning new benefit increases. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a Section concerning sales in error, deletes a provision that a county collector has only one year after the date of sale if taxes were sold at an annual tax sale or 180 days after the date of sale if taxes were sold at a scavenger tax sale to discover that a tax sale should not have occurred and notify the owner of the certificate of purchase that the county collector intends to declare an administrative sale in error.

Amends the Illinois Horse Meat Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to slaughter a horse if that person knows or should know that any of the horse meat will be used for human consumption and that any person who knowingly does so shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to possess, to import into or export from the State, or to sell, buy, give away, hold, or accept any horse meat if that person knows or should know that any of the horse meat will be used for human consumption and that any person who knowingly does so shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Repeals a Section that excludes registered horse meat that is labeled as such in hermetically sealed containers and horse meat prepared in federally inspected plants from the provisions of the Act. Amends the Animals Intended for Food Act. Removes horses, mules, or other equidae from the definition of the term "Animal". Amends the Illinois Equine Infectious Anemia Control Act. Eliminates the testing exemption for horses transported into the State for the sole purpose of slaughter. Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Eliminates an exception that allows a person to sell, offer to sell, lead, ride, transport, or drive on any public way equidae that is being sold, transported, or housed with the intent that it will be moved in an expeditious and humane manner to an approved slaughtering establishment. Excludes downed animals of the equine genus from those downed animals that may be sent directly to a slaughter facility . Amends the Humane Slaughter of Livestock Act. Provides that "Livestock" does not include horses, mules, or other equidae to be used in and for the preparation of meat or meat products for consumption by human beings. Effective immediately.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that the juvenile court shall decide whether to require a juvenile offender to register as a sex offender based on several factors, including seriousness, level of planning and participation, sex offender history, ages and relationship of the juvenile and the victim, and other factors. Sets forth registration requirements for a juvenile. Provides for modification of registration. Provides that, upon reaching the age of 17, a juvenile is not required to register as an adult sex offender unless certain requirements are met. Provides that a juvenile shall not be considered a sexual predator. Makes other changes.

Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Requires each probation officer to receive at least 30 hours per year of training or continuing education beginning January 1, 2007, provided that such training or continuing education programs have been approved in advance by the Division of Probation Services.

Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Increases the daily pari-mutuel handle tax and provides that the amount of the increase shall be deposited into the Insurance for Jockeys Fund to be used exclusively by the Illinois Racing Board to assist in providing health and accident insurance for jockeys who race at Illinois race tracks for coverage of catastrophic injuries that occur while competing in Illinois. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Insurance for Jockeys Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In provisions concerning the Board of Trustees of the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago's power to defray health insurance costs, increases the maximum total payments for that purpose to $75,000,000 (from $65,000,000) plus any amount authorized to be paid in the preceding year that was not actually paid by the Board, including interest earned thereon. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.