Rep. Cynthia Soto

Amends the State Housing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Residential Mortgage License Act of 1987, the High Risk Home Loan Act, and the Interest Act. Limits the imposition of prepayment penalties in connection with high risk home loans. Limits the size of balloon payments in connection with high risk home loans. Limits the imposition of late fees. Effective January 1, 2013.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers and duties of the State Board of Education.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "bus rapid transit vehicle" as a bus specifically authorized by the Department of Transportation to be operated upon highways and shoulders for bus rapid transit. Adds bus rapid transit vehicles to the list of vehicles exempted from prohibitions against driving on the shoulder. Creates the Bus Rapid Transit Pilot Program. Provides that commencing January 1, 2011, the Department, in cooperation with the Regional Transportation Authority and the Illinois State Police, shall establish a 5-year pilot program within the boundaries of the Regional Transportation Authority for bus rapid transit on highways and shoulders. Provides that the Department may adopt rules as necessary to implement the bus rapid transit pilot program, and that the Department shall present to the General Assembly a report on the effectiveness of bus rapid transit at the conclusion of the 5-year pilot program.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that there shall be a moratorium on school closings, consolidations, and phase-outs in the school district in the 2012-2013 school year. Provides that any of these actions that are subsequently appropriate must be carried out no sooner than the end of the 2013-2014 school year, subject to any new set of requirements adopted by the General Assembly. During this moratorium period, requires the district to establish polices that address and remedy the academic performance of schools in which Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores reflect students performing at or below 75%. Requires these policies to establish clear criteria or processes for establishing criteria for making school facility decisions and include clear criteria for setting priorities with respect to school openings, school closings, school consolidations, school turnarounds, school phase-outs, school construction, school repairs, school modernizations, school boundary changes, and other related school facility decisions, including the encouragement of multiple community uses for school space. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the application of the Article and definitions.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the application of the Article and definitions.

Adds the Executive Director of the Illinois Commerce Commission or his or her designee as a member of the Task Force on Railroad and Bridge Infrastructure created by House Resolution 814 of the 97th General Assembly. Designates the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives or his or her designee (instead of the Illinois Secretary of Transportation) as the chair of the Task Force. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission (instead of the Illinois Department of Transportation) shall provide staffing support to the Task Force and shall administer and prepare all reports deemed necessary in conjunction with the Task Force.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the conversion and formation of school districts.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the application of the Article and definitions.