Rep. James H. Meyer

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Under specified circumstances, allows for a maximum of 5 additional charter schools exclusively for truants or dropouts in Chicago if the limit on the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time in the rest of the State has not been reached. Provides that if any of the additional charter schools are not used exclusively for truants or dropouts, then the State Board of Education shall withhold and the charter school shall forfeit all State funding designated for that school.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to provide coverage for habilitative services, including, but not limited to occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy for children under the age of 19 with congenital or genetic defects existing at or from birth or with a defect acquired at a young age. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 by creating the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team Law. Authorizes the creation of Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams to identify and review the circumstances that led to domestic violence related homicides and identify strategies to prevent future fatalities. Allows, for the limited purpose of domestic violence fatality reviews, the disclosure to Team members of any information deemed confidential, privileged, or prohibited from disclosure by any other Act. Provides that confidential information obtained by a Team shall remain confidential and may not be disclosed by the Team. Provides that the proceedings, records, opinions, and deliberations of a Team shall be privileged. Limits the liability for a Team member or a person providing information to a Team for civil damages arising out of an official act or an omission during the gathering or processing of information by a Team, except for acts or omissions that constitute willful or wanton misconduct or acts performed outside the scope of the authority of the Team. Provides that the Office of the Attorney General shall convene a statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Advisory Council to advise regarding the development and implementation of Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams and study the feasibility of an electronic database of orders of protection issued in Illinois. Requires the Office of the Attorney General and the Advisory Council to issue a biennial statewide report on Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams. Makes other changes. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts information gathered by a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team from the requirements of the Act.

Amends the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Illinois Oil Refining Task Force for the purpose of studying the lack of sufficient gasoline and diesel-fuel refining capacity in Illinois.

Appropriates $100,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for costs associated with the Illinois Science Olympiad. Effective July 1, 2008.

Directs the Auditor General to conduct a follow-up audit of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's administration of its economic development programs.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Special Service Area Tax Law.

Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Creates the Domestic Violence Prevention Review Board. Authorizes the Board to create Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams to gather and review information concerning fatal and near-fatal violence incidents, including suicides. Provides that information relevant to the investigation of a crime may be disclosed by a Team only to the prosecuting attorney or to a law enforcement agency or may be made available to the Attorney General, upon request. Limits the liability for a Team member or a person providing information to a Team for civil damages arising out of an official act or an omission during the gathering or processing of information by a Team, except for acts or omissions that constitute willful or wanton misconduct on the part of the member or person providing information or acts performed outside the scope of the authority of the Team. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts information gathered by a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team from the requirements of the Act. Effective immediately.

Declares May of each year as Lupus Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.