Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that applicants on the register of eligibles for appointment to fire departments who have an EMT-B, EMT-I, or EMT-P license in accordance with the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act may be given preference in appointment over non-licensed applicants.
Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides for the annexation of land to the District. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall implement and administer a Giant Steps Autism Center for Excellence pilot program for the study and evaluation of autism and to provide related training for teachers, paraprofessionals, and respite workers, therapist training, and consultative services. Provides that the State Board of Education is authorized to make grants to school districts and other programs that apply to participate in the Giant Steps Autism Center for Excellence program. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to conduct an annual review comparing the benefits that Illinois veterans receive with those benefits received by veterans in other states and U.S. territories. Provides that this benefits review shall be annually reported to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Congressional delegation. Effective January 1, 2006.
Amends the Film Production Services Tax Credit Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning applications for certification.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 relating to the offense of sexual exploitation of a child. Provides that a second or subsequent violation of a substantially similar law of another state is a Class 4 felony. Provides that if the victim of sexual exploitation of a child is under 13 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense, the offense is a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires insurers to cover surveillance tests for ovarian cancer for female insureds who are at risk for ovarian cancer. Provides a definition for "at risk for ovarian cancer" and "surveillance tests for ovarian cancer". Effective January 1, 2006.
Amends the Deposit of State Moneys Act. Provides that a bank or savings and loan association is disqualified as a State depository upon making a loan to certain entities doing business in or with the government of Sudan until such time as the United Nations determines that the government of Sudan has taken sufficient and demonstrable steps to end human rights abuses in that nation. Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Prohibits the investment or deposit from the retirement system or pension fund to certain entities doing business in or with the government of Sudan until such time as the United Nations determines that the government of Sudan has taken sufficient and demonstrable steps to end human rights abuses in that nation. Effective immediately.
Creates the Helping Heroes Child Care Program Act and amends the State Finance Act. Establishes the Helping Heroes Child Care Program for the purpose of providing vouchers for child care to Illinois families who have one or more parents deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan by the armed services. Provides for the program to be administered by the Department of Human Services, but only if federal funding is made available for that purpose. Provides that any such federal moneys received by the State shall be deposited into the Fund for Child Care for Deployed Military Personnel, which is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides for income eligibility criteria to be established by the Department by rule. Provides that a family that received child care assistance before the parent's deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan is eligible only for a voucher for the cost of any additional hours of child care that are necessary by reason of that deployment. Provides that a family is not eligible for a child care voucher if the family receives child care services from the United States military. Repeals the Act on July 1, 2010. Effective immediately.
