Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that the Attorney General may commence a civil action in the name of the People of the State of Illinois as parens patriae to enforce the Act. Provides for venue and limitations. Provides that remedies are available to the Attorney General to the same extent that remedies are available to an aggrieved party, and that, in addition to those remedies, the court shall award the State, as monetary relief, 3 times the amount of profits that accrued to the respondent by reason of the act, conduct, practice, or system challenged in the action, plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee as determined by the court. Provides that the court shall: require that damages for injuries sustained by persons other than the State be paid to those persons (with certain exceptions) to the extent they are identifiable and there is a practicable method for making the payment; and direct that damages that cannot practicably be paid to injured individuals shall be paid to the State. Provides for notice by publication or other means to aggrieved parties who may be bound by the court's judgment in the Attorney General's action and the right of any aggrieved party to elect to exclude his or her claim from adjudication. Provides that the Attorney General may intervene as parens patriae on behalf of persons in civil actions brought by aggrieved individuals under the Act. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Cancer Trial Discrimination Prohibition Law. Contains only a short title provision. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practice Act. Prohibits a person whose prior notary commission was suspended, canceled, or revoked from receiving another commission (now, a 10-year prohibition). Exempts notaries who are accredited immigration representatives (now, only attorneys) from the requirement that non-English advertisements of service include a notice that the notary is not an attorney. Applies the notice requirement to other identifying articles, such as letterhead and business cards. Prohibits the literal translation of various English terms that may imply the notary is an attorney. Prohibits a notary from accepting fees for immigration advice or assistance. Makes violations subject to fines, business offense penalties, and commission revocation. Makes other changes. Under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, imposes similar restrictions, requirements, and penalties on persons providing immigration services. Permits recovery of prohibited fees through compensatory damages and permits punitive damages of 3 times the amount of the fees. Makes other changes. 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.
Amends the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act and the Excellence in Academic Medicine Act. Provides that Alzheimer's disease and related disorders affect an estimated 4,500,000 (rather than 1,500,000) Americans and approximately 200,000 (rather than 111,000) Illinois citizens. Provides that the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee shall review and evaluate State programs and services provided by State agencies that are directed toward persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and recommend changes to improve the State's response to this health problem. Provides that payments to hospitals affiliated with each Regional Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Center shall be effected through the Illinois Department of Public Aid under the Excellence in Academic Medicine Act. Creates the Alzheimer's Disease Center Fund (and amends the State Finance Act to include the fund as a special fund in the State treasury). Creates an Alzheimer's Disease Center Program to provide financial incentives to the Regional Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Centers established under the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act.
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.
Creates the African-American Family Commission Act. Establishes a 15-member African-American Family Commission to serve as a coordinating and advocating body that acts on behalf of the interests of African-Americans in the State. Provides that members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor and serve 2-year terms. Provides that the Commission shall submit an annual report of its activities to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31 each year. Sets forth the responsibilities of the Commission and its Director. Provides that the Commission may accept offers, gifts, or grants from federal, State, local, or private sources and may expend these receipts on projects that it deems suitably related to performance of Commission duties. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall provide the Commission the same type and level of services it provides to other State agencies.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2006 registration year, a person who has been approved for benefits (rather than a person who has claimed and received a grant) under the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act, or the spouse of one of those persons, shall pay $24, rather than the usual fee, for a vehicle displaying specified registration plates. Makes corresponding changes in provisions regarding Purple Heart and Korean War Veteran plates. Effective immediately.
Amends the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act. Increases the amount of moneys in the Nursing Dedicated and Professional Fund to be appropriated to the Department of Public Health for nursing scholarships awarded pursuant to the Nursing Education Scholarship Law from $750,000 to $1,500,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004 and each fiscal year thereafter. Effective immediately.
Amends the General Homestead Exemption provisions of the Property Tax Code. Provides that in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants if the assessed valuation of property has increased by more than 20% over the previous assessed valuation of that property, an additional exemption is allowed, with the amount of the additional exemption determined by household income. Effective immediately.