Rep. Lovana Jones

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Deletes a provision that includes beginning and ending dates for the operation of a Great START (Strategy to Attract and Retain Teachers) program. Deletes provisions (i) requiring a working committee of the Child and Development Advisory Council of the Department of Human Services to make certain recommendations concerning the Great START program by October 1, 2000 and (ii) requiring the Department to evaluate the Great START program, gather data on the program, and submit a report to the General Assembly by December 31, 2002. Effective immediately.

Amends the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. Makes changes in the definitions of "low-income housing" and "moderate-income housing". Changes dates in provisions concerning the Illinois Housing Development Authority's determination of exempt local governments, affordable housing plans, and appeals to the State Housing Appeals Board. Effective immediately.

Urges Nielsen Media Research to delay its deployment of Local People Meter technology to measure television viewership until it has thoroughly investigated and explained the undercount of minorities as a result of the use of this technology and developed and tested new approaches that correct that deficiency.

Urges the Department of Public Health to develop a program to increase public awareness of postpartum depression and supports the efforts of the Melanie Stokes Foundation in the area of postpartum depression.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that the 10-year period for the registration of a sex offender shall commence when the sex offender both signs the notification form of the sex offender's duty to register and completes his or her initial registration with the law enforcement agency in which the sex offender is required to register. Effective immediately.

Congratulates Judge Odas Nicholson on being honored as a Law Day 2004 Honoree of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church.

Mourns the death of C. Vincent Bakeman, Ph.D.

Mourns the death of DeForest Baskin.

Mourns the death of Eleanor Wilson Travis.

Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that "debt service extension base" means, for park districts (i) that were first subject to this Law in 1991 or 1995 and (ii) whose extension for the 1994 levy year for the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the park district without referendum (but not including excluded non-referendum bonds) was less than 51% of the amount for the 1991 levy year constituting an extension for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the park district without referendum (but not including excluded non-referendum bonds), an amount equal to that portion of the extension for the 1991 levy year constituting an extension for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the park district without referendum (but not including excluded non-referendum bonds). Provides that "excluded non-referendum bonds" means (i) bonds authorized for certain aquarium and museum projects, (ii) double-barrelled bonds, and (iii) refunding obligations issued to refund or to continue to refund obligations initially issued pursuant to referendum.