Rep. David E. Miller

Amends the State Prompt Payment Act. Provides that if a State official or agency is late in payment of a vendor's bill or invoice for goods or services furnished to the State and the vendor is forced to borrow money to make up for the late payment from the State, in addition to any other payment the State is required to make to the vendor, the State must pay the vendor an amount equal to the vendor's debt service costs related to the money the vendor borrowed as a result of the late payment.

Amends the State Appellate Defender Act. Requires the Office of the State Appellate Defender to disseminate on a Statewide basis the names and business addresses of licensed attorneys who are certified by the Illinois Supreme Court as members of the Capital Litigation Trial Bar.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the State's Attorney or Attorney General must file a notice of intention to seek or decline the death penalty within 120 days after arraignment, unless the court for good cause shown otherwise directs. Creates the State Death Penalty Review Committee effective June 1, 2003 to develop standards to assist State's Attorneys in the exercise of discretion in seeking the death penalty on a first degree murder charge and to approve a State's Attorney's decision to seek the death penalty in first degree murder cases.

Amends the Metropolitan Civic Center Support Act to provide for payment of bonds to be made by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (rather than the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity). Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that in first degree murder cases in which the death penalty may be imposed, before the jury makes a determination with respect to the imposition of the death penalty, the court shall instruct the jury of the applicable alternative sentences that the court may impose for first degree murder if a jury determination precludes the death sentence.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that in a direct appeal in a first degree murder case in which the death penalty was imposed, upon the request of the defendant, the Supreme Court must determine whether the sentence was imposed due to some arbitrary factor; whether an independent weighing of the aggravating and mitigating circumstances indicate death was the proper sentence; and whether the sentence of death was excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases.

Amends the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that post conviction relief is available if the death penalty was imposed and there is newly discovered evidence not available to the person at the time of the proceeding that resulted in his or her conviction that establishes the person's innocence. Provides that the proceeding may be commenced at any time after the person's conviction, notwithstanding other time limits imposed by the post-conviction relief Article of the Code.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that each peace officer involved in investigating a homicide case shall receive periodic training in the following areas and each law enforcement agency shall retain experts on these topics to conduct the training and prepare training manuals for use by peace officers: (1) the risk of false testimony by in-custody informants; (2) the risks of false testimony by accomplice witnesses; (3) the dangers of tunnel vision or confirmatory bias; (4) the risks of wrongful convictions in homicide cases; (5) police investigative and interrogation methods; (6) forensic evidence; and (7) the risks of false confessions.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Includes disabled persons within the provisions granting an assessment freeze homestead exemption to senior citizens. Changes the name to the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (now Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption). Makes corresponding changes to a cross-reference to the exemption. Amends the States Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.