Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the filing fee for judicial review of a final determination of an automated traffic law violation shall be no more than $20.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides non-home rule municipalities the power to exercise all power provided to home rule units under Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, except for the powers to tax, impose fees, and to incur debt. Effective immediately.
Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that the right of any person to record the proceedings at meetings required to be open under the Act includes the time before and after the meeting. Limits the recording before and after the meeting to the recording of public officials within 100 feet of the property where the meeting takes place.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State shall not impose a delinquent registration renewal fee unless the registered owner of the vehicle has been provided with notice, by postage mail or email, of the date the vehicle's registration expires and that a delinquent registration renewal fee of $20 may be imposed for failure to send an application for registration renewal within one month after the vehicle's registration expires. Effective immediately.
Amends the Citizen Participation Act. Makes changes in the Section concerning public policy. Changes the definition of "motion". Provides that the Act applies to a motion that is made in response to a claim that is meritless and retaliatory. Provides that a claim is meritless if it lacks an essential element of the claim or fails against a reasonably foreseeable affirmative defense to that claim. Provides that a plaintiff's claim is presumed to be retaliatory if the alleged basis for the claim is an act in furtherance of the constitutional rights to petition, speech, association, and participation in government. Provides that a motion under the Act may be made as a motion to dismiss or as a motion for summary judgment or joined with other motions. Makes other changes in the Section concerning motion procedure and standards. Provides that "attorney's fees and costs" include reasonable trial and appellate attorney's fees and costs incurred in connection with a motion under the Act, including, but not limited to, fees and costs for discovery that relates to such a motion.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that in an administrative hearing in which the owner of a vehicle may contest the merits of an alleged automated traffic law violation, the violation must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and the formal or technical rules of evidence that apply in court proceedings on moving traffic violations shall apply.
Creates the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act. Provides that each public library must have a technology protection measure to prevent the display on a public computer of any visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors. Allows a public library to disable the technology protection measure for an adult engaged in legitimate research or some other lawful purpose. Requires the State Librarian to adopt rules to implement and administer the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Fund. Amends the Illinois Library System Act to require compliance with and submit an annual attestation under this Act in order to be eligible for certain grants. Amends the Illinois Local Library Act to be subject to the provisions of this Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Exempts from an eavesdropping violation any recording of a conversation that occurs in any place open to the public, if the recording is made by a person, not a law enforcement officer or agent of a law enforcement officer, who is a party to the conversation. Decreases the penalty for eavesdropping from a Class 4 felony for a first offense to a Class A misdemeanor and, for a second or subsequent offense from a Class 3 felony to a Class 4 felony. Deletes provision that the eavesdropping of an oral conversation or an electronic communication of any law enforcement officer, State's Attorney, Assistant State's Attorney, the Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General, or a judge, while in the performance of his or her official duties, if not authorized by the Eavesdropping Article or proper court order, is a Class 3 felony, and for a second or subsequent offense, is a Class 2 felony. Effective immediately.
Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that where the provisions of this Act are not complied with, or where there is probable cause to believe that the provisions of this Act will not be complied with, any person may bring a civil action in the circuit court within 60 days of the decision by the Attorney General to resolve a request for review by a means other than the issuance of a binding opinion, if the person timely files a request for review with the Public Access Counselor. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that any payment that (i) is made by a participating municipality to an employee during the year before the employee's termination of service and after the employee has expressed to the municipality his or her intent to retire and (ii) would have the effect of increasing the employee's rate of earnings by more than 6%, shall not be deemed to be "earnings" for pension purposes and shall not be included in the determination of the rate of earnings, unless the governing board of the municipality has separately confirmed that payment to that specific employee, by ordinance or resolution, at a meeting open to the public and posted and held in accordance with the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. Amends the Open Meetings Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.
