Amends the senior citizens homestead exemption provisions in the Property Tax Code. Provides that beginning with assessment year 2003, for taxes payable in 2004, property that is first occupied as a residence after January 1 of any assessment year by a person who is eligible for the senior citizens homestead exemption must be granted a pro-rata exemption for the assessment year. The amount of the pro-rata exemption is the senior citizens homestead exemption allowed in the county divided by 365 and multiplied by the number of days during the year the property is occupied as a residence by a person eligible for the exemption. The chief county assessment officer must adopt reasonable procedures to establish eligibility for the pro-rata exemption. Amends the State Mandates Act to restate that the senior citizens homestead exemption is exempt from the requirements of the State Mandates Act and further amends the Property Tax Code to state that the senior citizens homestead exemption is exempt from the requirements of the State Mandates Act. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Creates the Children's Privacy Protection and Parental Empowerment Act. Prohibits: the sale or purchase of personal information concerning children without parental consent; the processing of personal information concerning children by prisoners or convicted sex offenders; and the distribution or exchange of children's personal information that one has reason to believe will be used to harm or abuse a child. Provides that persons who broker, solicit, or facilitate the sale of personal information concerning children are required to disclose to parents, upon request, the source and content of personal information on file with regard to their children, and to disclose to parents, upon request, the names of persons or entities that have received or solicited personal information with regard to their children. Violation of this Act is a Class A misdemeanor.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that harassment through electronic communications by reason of the harassed person's actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or national origin is a hate crime. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code to require the State Board of Education to provide after-school program grants to qualifying school districts for the purpose of providing academic assistance at the end of the regular day of instruction or on non-school days for students and their families at school sites. Provides that a school district qualifies and may apply for a grant if the district contains one or more schools in which at least two-fifths of the students at the school fail to meet State academic standards. Establishes requirements for the grants. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires the Department of Insurance to request and obtain information from insurers doing business in this State regarding any records of slaveholder insurance policies issued by any predecessor corporation during the slavery era, which policies provided coverage to slaveholders for damage to or death of their slaves. Provides that insurers must research and report on those policies. Requires the Department to make this information available to the public and the General Assembly. Provides that descendants of slaves are entitled to full disclosure.
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act to provide instruction for the handling of domestic violence complaints with the guidelines developed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board and representatives from named State and private offices with an interest in preventing domestic violence. Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 to mandate the implementation of a system for recording domestic violence calls and annually reporting the number of those calls. Provides that law enforcement officers shall also annotate signs of whether the alleged abuser was under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.
Creates the Illinois Early Learning Council Act. Establishes the Illinois Early Learning Council to coordinate existing State programs and services for children from birth to 5 years of age in order to better meet the early learning needs of children and their families. Provides for the appointment of members to the Council who represent both public and private organizations and who shall serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis.
Creates the Good Samaritan Energy Plan Act. Contains only a short title provision.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a public utility may not disconnect for nonpayment service during the period from December 1 through March 31 to a residential customer who is eligible for assistance under the Energy Assistance Act of 1989. Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Exempts from an eavesdropping violation, electronic video and audio recordings made of a custodial interrogation of an individual by a law enforcement officer who complies with specified standards of conducting the interrogation. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that no oral, written, or sign language statement of an accused made as a result of a custodial interrogation shall be admissible as evidence against the accused in a prosecution for homicide offenses or certain sex offenses unless an electronic video and audio recording is made of the statement and the accused is given specified warnings. In the case of an accused under 17 years of age at the time of the offense and subject to the Juvenile Court Act, these requirements apply in cases of non-probationable felonies. Provides for certain warnings to be received before written statements of the accused are admissible. Establishes exceptions. Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to provide that the Department of State Police shall make grants available to local law enforcement agencies, subject to a separate appropriation, for the purpose of purchasing videotape equipment.