Congratulates the staff and students of the St. Germaine School in Oak Lawn on the occasion of being the recipient of the 2007 Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Board of Education.
Mourns the death of Dorothea Hoch of Oak Lawn.
Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that references throughout the Act to people with a disability will be by use of the term "person with a disability" or the term "disabled" (at present, "handicapped"). In the definition of "place of public accommodation", deletes the existing examples and inserts language listing facilities that are considered public accommodations for purposes of the Article. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to deny or refuse full and equal enjoyment of goods of any place of public accommodation. Provides that it is not a civil rights violation for a health care professional to respond to a person protected under the Act by referring the person to another professional or to refuse to treat or provide services to that person, if in the normal exercise of his or her profession the health care professional would for the same reason respond in the same way to an individual who is not protected under the Act who seeks or requires the same or similar treatment or services. Effective immediately.
Creates the Internet Safety Education Act to inform and protect students from inappropriate or illegal communications and solicitation and to require school districts to provide education about Internet threats and risks. Creates the Internet Safety Education Alliance under the authority of the Office of the Attorney General. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Internet Safety Education Fund. Amends the School Code to mandate the provision by every public school of instruction and discussion on effective methods by which students may recognize and report inappropriate, illegal, or threatening communications on the Internet on or before the start of the 2008-2009 school year.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning prohibited transactions.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code, School Code, Child Passenger Protection Act, and Unified Code of Corrections. Makes various changes regarding: driver education requirements; graduated driver's licenses; instruction permits for minors; curfews for drivers under a specified age; the number of passengers under a specified age allowed in a vehicle driven by a newly licensed driver under a certain age; the use of seat safety belts; the use of wireless telephones by graduated driver's license holders; suspensions of driver's licenses of drivers under age 21 under specified circumstances; required appearances before the presiding judge with a parent or guardian under specified circumstances; vehicle impoundment for drivers arrested for street racing; and other matters. Repeals provisions creating the offense of drag racing. Creates the offenses of street racing and aggravated street racing, and makes conforming changes. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2008, except that the provisions amending the School Code are effective July 1, 2008.
Amends the Department of Human Services Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, for purposes of the Department of Human Services' disability database, "developmental disabilities" include autism spectrum disorders. In connection with Medicaid, provides that a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder shall be considered a person with a "developmental disability" or a "person with a related condition" for purposes of determining eligibility for services under Home and Community-Based Services Waivers for persons with developmental disabilities, without regard to whether that person is also diagnosed with mental retardation and without regard to that person's IQ level, so long as the person otherwise meets applicable level-of-care criteria under those waivers. Effective immediately.
Amends the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act. Provides for and enforces the collection of surcharge fees of wireless telephone service subscribers for the establishment and implementation of a cohesive statewide emergency telephone number for wireless telephone users. Establishes a penalty for wireless carriers who fail to provide zip code information of customers. Requires wireless carriers to remit the surcharge for all subscribers if a method of surcharge collection from subscribers is not implemented. Provides that the Commission may impose penalties on wireless carriers who do not remit the surcharge before midnight on the last day of the third calendar month after the closing date of the remit period. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission may collect delinquent amounts from wireless carriers by legal action or other methods permitted under State law. Provides that the Executive Director, or his or her designee, may excuse penalties determined to be unjust. Provides a manner by which wireless carriers may recover costs from the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to annually review the balance in the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund. Requires the Comptroller to transfer certain excess amounts into the Wireless Services Emergency Fund. Provides a manner by which funds transferred into the Wireless Services Emergency Fund are to be distributed. Effective immediately.
Mourns the death of the Honorable John M. Flaherty of Oak Lawn.
Amends the Wrongful Death Act. Provides that the jury may award damages for grief, sorrow, and mental suffering to the surviving spouse and next of kin of the deceased. Provides that any amount reduced from a contributorily negligent beneficiary's share of damages shall be distributed to the other beneficiaries in proportion to their respective degrees of dependency. Deletes language regarding limitations on the amount of damages. Applies to causes of action accruing on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
