Amends the Recreational Trails of Illinois Act. With respect to the Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Fund, provides that at least 92% (now 60%) shall be allocated for motorized recreation and not more than 8% may be used for administration, enforcement, planning, and implementation costs. Effective immediately.
Mourns the death of Dr. Barbara Sizemore.
Congratulates Delores Cooper on her retirement.
Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning reimbursement for a Board member's expenses.
Creates the Comprehensive Housing, Health, and Supportive Services for Older Adults Act and amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act, the State Finance Act, and the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Director of Public Health, in coordination with the Director of Aging and the Director of Public Aid, to monitor and analyze the distribution of housing and services for older adults in the different geographic areas of the State and implement corrective action plans by July 1, 2005. Provides for a program for conversion of nursing homes to assisted living or shared housing establishments; makes such conversions exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act, and provides for transition planning grants to nursing homes making such conversions. Creates special funds in the State treasury for use in implementing the Comprehensive Housing, Health, and Supportive Services for Older Adults Act. Provides for transfers from the Long Term Care Monitor/Receiver Fund to the new Nursing Home Conversion Fund and the new Nursing Home Transition Planning Grant Fund. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Cancer Trial Discrimination Prohibition Law. Contains only a short title provision. Effective immediately.
Creates the Mercury Reduction Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency may participate in the establishment and implementation of a multi-state clearinghouse to assist in carrying out the purpose of mercury reduction. Provides that beginning July 1, 2005, no mercury-added product may be offered for final sale or use or distributed for promotional purposes in the State without prior written notification to the Environmental Protection Agency by the manufacturer of the product. Sets forth the requirements for this notification. Sets forth restrictions on the purchase or sale of certain mercury-added products. Provides that beginning July 1, 2006, no person may crush, shred, flatten, or otherwise process a motor vehicle for scrap metal without first making a good faith effort to remove any mercury light switches and mercury headlights. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2006, the Pollution Control Board must modify its rules governing universal hazardous waste as appropriate to promote the recycling, recovery, and proper management of elemental mercury and mercury-added products on a statewide basis. Sets forth penalties for violations of the Act. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Adds "vehicle recycler" to the list of persons who may not knowingly shred, scrap, dismantle, recycle, incinerate, handle, store, or otherwise manage any white good that contains any white components. Provides that no owner, operator, agent, employee of a junkyard or scrap dealership, or vehicle recycler may knowingly shred, scrap, dismantle, recycle, incinerate, handle, store, or otherwise manage any end-of-life motor vehicle that contains any mercury-added component. Defines "vehicle recycler", "end-of-life motor vehicle", and "mercury-added component". Effective immediately.
Creates the Right to Breastfeed Act. Contains only a short title provision.
Amends the Illinois Credit Union Act. Expands a credit union's general powers to sell to persons eligible for membership, negotiable checks, money orders, and similar money transfer instruments, cash checks and money orders, and receive electronic fund transfers for a fee. Increases access to credit union service to the economically disadvantaged. Provides that individuals earning a stated amount or whose annual household income falls at or below a stated amount may be admitted to membership in a credit union. Requires credit unions desiring to serve the economically disadvantaged to have a written business plan documenting the fact that the area or persons meet certain criteria, identifying the credit and depository needs of the area or persons, identifying the services to be delivered, and describing the manner in which the services will be delivered. Makes changes concerning the reimbursement, titles, qualifications, suspension or removal of a credit union's board of directors and executive officers. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code and the State Finance Act. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a 3-year technology immersion pilot project to provide a wireless laptop computer to each student, teacher, and relevant administrator in a participating school and implement the use of software, on-line courses, and other appropriate learning technologies that have been shown to improve academic achievement and specified progress measures. Creates the Technology Immersion Pilot Project Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, with moneys being used by the State Board for the pilot project. Requires participating school districts to send an annual progress report to the State Board. Effective immediately.
