Creates the Underrepresented Groups in Academia Task Force within the Board of Higher Education to examine strategies to grow underrepresented groups in institutions of higher education and to ascertain the viability of increasing the number of laboratory schools in the State and creating State-owned and operated trade schools.
Mourns the death of James McKinley Barry.
Amends the Health Care Services Lien Act. Adds to the definition of "health care provider" ambulatory surgical treatment facilities accredited by one of the following organizations: the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities; the Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations); the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program; or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
Amends the Forcible Entry and Detainer Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that the owner of lands or tenements may recover rent or a fair and reasonable satisfaction for use and occupation when the lands or tenements are held and occupied by a tenant who is a defendant in an eviction or possession action, or his or her grantees, assignees or representatives, and the tenant continues to maintain possession of the land or property throughout the duration of the pending eviction or possession action. Provides that: if an order for use and occupancy is granted to the plaintiff and the defendant violates the order by willfully failing to pay the ordered amount, the court shall set a firm trial date for the pending eviction possession action no less than 7 days from the date that the violation of the use and occupancy order is entered; the defendant is responsible to the plaintiff for all costs and attorney's fees incurred by the plaintiff while seeking a remedy for the violation of the use and occupancy order; and if the defendant is successful in the underlying eviction or possession action, the defendant is entitled to the return of any use and occupancy payments made to the plaintiff on his behalf, plus statutory interest. Provides that nothing in the new provisions shall be deemed to affect any property that is subject to the Condominium Property Act.
Appropriates $25,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for the purpose of making grants to those public community college districts and public universities that have a minority student enrollment of at least 75% of the total student enrollment. Effective immediately.
Amends the Contractor Prompt Payment Act. Provides that an owner may make payments on behalf of a contractor to subcontractors. Provides that, if an owner's lender requires the lender's approval before payment, the owner has an additional 25 days to obtain the approval. Provides that the Act is subject to the rights and obligations of the parties under the Mechanics Lien Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that any label of fresh, frozen, or processed fish or shellfish, wild or farm raised, offered for sale at wholesale or retail shall clearly identify (1) the species of fish or shellfish by its common name, (2) whether the fish or shellfish was farm raised or wild caught, and (3) whether the fish or shellfish was caught domestically or imported. Provides that a retail food facility that sells or offers for sale any fresh, frozen, or processed fish or shellfish, wild or farm raised, may not knowingly misidentify or misbrand (1) the country of origin of the fish or shellfish or (2) whether the fish or shellfish was farm raised or wild caught. Sets forth provisions concerning misbranding and the presumption of knowledge.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Creates a Tier III benefit package applicable to persons who first begin participating in one of the State-funded retirement systems on or after July 1, 2015. Provides for retirement benefits and certain employee contribution changes that supersede the corresponding provisions of the applicable retirement system. Provides that those retirement benefits may be annually increased or decreased in response to the retirement system's investment earnings. Changes the amount of the required State contributions and, in the State Universities and Downstate Teacher Articles, requires the actual employers to make contributions to amortize any unfunded liabilities arising out of their employees who are Tier III participants. Provides that, when the State's total debt service obligation for certain pension bonds has ended, any funds remaining available for the payment of that debt service shall be distributed to the 5 State-funded retirement systems, to be used to reduce their unfunded actuarial liabilities. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Creates the Eliminate Racial Profiling Act. Prohibits a State or local law enforcement agent or law enforcement agency from engaging in racial profiling. Allows the State or an individual injured by racial profiling to enforce the racial profiling provision in a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires law enforcement agencies to maintain policies and procedures, designed to eliminate racial profiling, and to certify that in applications for certain federal grant programs. Requires the Attorney General to adopt rules for administrative complaint procedures and independent audit programs applicable to law enforcement agencies. Allows the Attorney General to make grants to law enforcement agencies to develop and implement best practices to eliminate racial profiling. Allows the Attorney General to order the withholding of certain federal grants for law enforcement agencies that are not in compliance with the Act. Grants rulemaking authority to the Attorney General to implement the Act. Contains report and publication requirements, with some limitations to protect personal identifying information. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt disclosure of the name and identifying information of a law enforcement officer, complainant, or other person in any activity for which data is collected and compiled under the Eliminate Racial Profiling Act, except for disclosure of information to that person.
Amends the Civil Practice Law of the Code of Civil Procedure. In provisions requiring persons or entities named as respondents in discovery to respond to discovery in the same manner as defendants, adds language providing that discovery includes a request for admission of facts or of genuineness of documents. Provides that respondents in discovery may, on motion of the plaintiff, be added as defendants if a preponderance of the evidence discloses cause for such action (instead of "if the evidence discloses the existence of probable cause for such action"). Makes corresponding changes in the statutory summons to a respondent in discovery.
