Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that college students who are enrolled full time at a public or private college or university and live with their parents are not to be included as a part of the "household" when determining eligibility for the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. Effective immediately.
Creates a Task Force to review the operations of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Foster Care Division and related laws and rules impacting the Illinois foster care system.
Creates the Illinois Opportunity Fund Act. Contains provisions intended to increase the availability and facilitate the delivery of institutional venture capital to emerging and expanding enterprises in the State of Illinois. Defines the role of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Creates the Illinois Opportunity Fund and provides for the creation of the Illinois Capital Investment Corporation. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Opportunity Special Projects Fund. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2005, the taxpayer may deduct from base income all amounts distributed from a qualified cash or deferred arrangement under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code if those amounts were distributed on or after the date that the taxpayer attained the age of 59.5. Effective immediately.
Creates the Department of Child Support Services Act. Creates the Department of Child Support Services and the position of Director of Child Support Services. Designates the Department of Child Support Services as the single State agency to administer the State's Title IV-D State plan for securing child and spouse support and determining paternity; transfers those functions from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Department of Public Aid) to the Department of Child Support Services. Provides for the confidentiality of records to facilitate and enhance the child and spouse support enforcement program, and makes a violation of the confidentiality provisions a Class A misdemeanor. Provides that the Department of Child Support Services is the successor agency to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services for purposes of child and spouse support enforcement. Provides for the transfer of functions, employees, and property from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to the Department of Child Support Services. Amends the Departments of State Government Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to add the Department of Child Support Services as a department of State government and the Director of Child Support Services as the head of the Department. Amends various Acts to change references from the Department of Public Aid to the Department of Child Support Services in connection with child and spouse support enforcement and to add references to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in appropriate contexts. Effective immediately.
Amends the Property Tax Code. Includes disabled persons within the provisions granting an assessment freeze homestead exemption to senior citizens. Changes the name to the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (now Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption). Makes corresponding changes to a cross-reference to the exemption. Amends the States Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Creates the Legislative Technology and Science Commission Act. Provides that the Commission, with respect to technology, science, and economic development, shall: study the impact of legislation; advise the General Assembly and the Governor; research issues; solicit input from other entities; encourage research; assist and coordinate efforts of other agencies and institutions of the State; and accept private and public funds for these purposes. Provides that the Commission has 12 members and that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate shall each make 3 appointments, of whom 2 shall be members of the General Assembly and one shall have expertise in science or technology. Provides that members of the Commission shall serve at the discretion of the officer of the General Assembly who appointed that member. Provides that vacancies shall be filled in like manner. Provides that a vacancy occurs when a member of the General Assembly who serves on the Commission no longer holds the elected legislative office held at the time of the appointment, dies, resigns, or has been removed by the appointing officer of the General Assembly. Provides that the chairperson and the secretary of the Commission shall be selected by the Commission. Provides that the Commission may create sub-committees. Contains other provisions. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Legislative Technology and Science Commission Fund.
Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the School Code's construction.
Amends the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption provisions in the Property Tax Code. Increases the ceiling for household income eligibility (i) for taxable year 2006, from $45,000 per year to $50,000 per year and (ii) for taxable years after 2006, the amount must be increased in an amount equal to the annual rate of increase of the Consumer Price Index for the previous calendar year. Amends the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption provisions and the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement from the State. Effective immediately.
Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Increases the income eligibility level for both circuit breaker and pharmaceutical assistance to (i) $28,000 (now, $21,218) for a household containing one person, (ii) $35,000 (now, $28,480) for a household containing 2 persons, or (iii) $42,000 (now, $35,740) for a household containing 3 or more persons for the 2005 grant year and thereafter. Provides that the household income limitation under the Act shall be subject to annual adjustments equal to the percentage of increase in the previous year in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the Untied States Department of Labor. Effective immediately.
