Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act. Authorizes the Secretary of State to appoint and commission real estate notaries public to perform notarial acts involving real property documents. Requires that persons seeking appointment as real estate notaries public submit to criminal background checks. Requires that a notary public keep a journal as to notarization of documents concerning real property. Specifies the information to be entered in the journal in order to identify the witnesses who or documents that affirmed the identity of persons whose acknowledgements were notarized. Specifies the manner in which the journal must be kept and the conditions under which journal entries must be disclosed. Makes violations by a notary public punishable by fines imposed by the Secretary of State and revocation of the notary's commission. Makes a notary public's official misconduct with respect to real property documents a Class 2 felony. Makes impersonation of a notary public a Class 1 felony (now, a Class A misdemeanor). Makes unlawful possession of a notary's official seal a Class 2 felony (now, a misdemeanor with a fine not to exceed $1,000). Amends the Conveyances Act. Provides that rights and interests shall (now, may) be acknowledged or proved before specified courts or officers. Provides that when the acknowledgement or proving is outside Illinois but within the United States and its territories, the notary public must be in substantial compliance with the Illinois Notary Public Act.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Increases the minimum monthly annuity payment to $1,250 for any policeman who retired from the service before January 1, 2006, at age 50 or over with 20 or more years of service, and for any policeman who retired from service due to termination of disability and who is entitled to an annuity on January 1, 2006. Increases the minimum amount of a widow's annuity to $1,200 per month. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Creates the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act. Provides that each public library must have a technology protection measure to prevent the display on a public computer of any visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors. Authorizes enforcement by the Attorney General or an individual. Provides that each public library must annually certify, under penalty of perjury, its compliance with this Act. Allows a public library to disable the technology protection measure for an adult engaged in legitimate research or some other lawful purpose. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Fund. Fines under the Act are to be deposited into the Fund. Amounts in the Fund are to be used by the State Librarian, subject to appropriation, to implement and administer the Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Increases the minimum monthly annuity payment to $1,250 for any policeman who retired from the service before January 1, 2007, at age 50 or over with 20 or more years of service, and for any policeman who retired from service due to termination of disability and who is entitled to an annuity on January 1, 2007. Increases the minimum amount of a widow's annuity to $1,200 per month. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a firefighter who is unable to perform his or her duties because of an occupational disease or disability dies within the initial one-year period during which he or she continues to receive salary rather than an occupational disease disability benefit, the firefighter's surviving spouse may elect to receive the same benefits (including health care benefits) as she or he would have qualified for if the deceased firefighter had been receiving an occupational disease disability benefit at the time of death. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Creates a program of hearing aid assistance to the aged and disabled. Provides that, to offset the cost of the hearing aids, a person entitled to claim a grant under certain provisions of the Act is entitled to receive a payment of up to $100 each calendar year in which he or she purchases a hearing aid for his or her personal use.
Amends the Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005. Requires the adverse health event reporting system to be fully operational by July 1, 2007 (now, January 1, 2008). Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in the short title Section.
Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the occupational disease disability benefit shall be equal to 65% of the current salary attached from time to time to the rank held by the police officer at the time of his or her removal from the police department payroll (now the greater of 65% of the salary attached to the rank held by the police officer in the police service at the time of his or her removal from the police department payroll or 50% of the current salary attached from time to time to the rank held by the police officer at the time of his or her removal from the police department payroll). Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Redefines "public record" to include contracts entered into by or on behalf of a public body, notwithstanding any of the Act's exemptions. Effective immediately.