Rep. Keith Farnham

Amends the Military Code of Illinois. Authorizes the Department of Military Affairs, subject to appropriation, to also make grants from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund to (i) Illinois residents who are active duty members of the armed forces of the United States or members of the reserves of the armed forces of the United States and who are wounded in combat while deployed in support of the global war on terrorism and (ii) the families of those persons. Provides that the Department must establish a casualty-based grant program.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Power Agency for its FY 10 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that Veterans Day honors the victory in all wars of all United States Armed Forces (now, United States Army, Navy, and Air Force).

Amends the Deposit of State Moneys Act. Authorizes investment in repurchase agreements of government securities having the meaning set out in the Government Securities Act of 1986,"as now or hereafter amended or succeeded". Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that if the Comptroller on his or her official website announces the State's awarding of a contract, the announcement must include at least as much information as is required to be included in the notice of contract award in the Procurement Bulletin.

Thanks Jeff Olson and the men and women of Waste Management Inc. in Elgin for their hard work in saving Old Glory from the trash and making sure that flags are disposed of in a proper manner.

Congratulates the staff of the Gail Borden Library on winning the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Thanks Greg Olsen and the men and women of Waste Management Inc. in Elgin for their hard work in saving Old Glory from the trash and making sure that flags are disposed of in a proper manner.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall combine best practices and methods and programmatic functions of the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching's Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program into one program, to be known as the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program and managed by the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Provides that this consolidated program shall be fully operational before July 1, 2012 and that Fiscal Year 2012 shall be the last year that Illinois Future Teacher Corps scholarships are available. Provides for a transition period. Requires the Commission to transfer funding from the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Provides that following the completion of the transition of funding, all applications for scholarship assistance shall be in a form determined by the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Provides that the eligibility requirements apply only to Illinois Future Teacher Corps scholarships. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall create a task force to examine the process used by State and local governmental agencies to conduct criminal history record checks as a condition of employment or approval to render provider services to such an agency. Provides that the task force shall include but need not be limited to representatives from several specified State agencies and large regional school districts. Requires the task force to provide a plan to the General Assembly by February 1, 2010 that addresses specified issues aimed at revising the process for conducting criminal history record checks in order to reduce duplication of effort and make better use of resources and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that as a condition of eligibility to participate in the child care assistance program, a child care provider must authorize in writing an investigation to determine whether the child care provider has ever been charged with a crime and, if so, the disposition of those charges. Provides for confidentiality of information received by the Department of Human Services. Eliminates a provision that the Department of Human Services shall request the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct periodic investigations of the Central Register maintained under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Effective immediately.