Congratulates the organizers and performers of the Chinese New Year Spectacular for their work in the Chinese fine arts.
Amends the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act. Provides that a forest preserve may sell certain vacant, subdivided residential outlots if the board of commissioners determines that the sale is advantageous to the district. Sets forth other criteria for the sale of the lots. Provides that the proceeds from the sale must be set aside and used only for certain capital improvements or for the payment of bond indebtedness. Effective immediately.
Creates the Green Governments Illinois Act. Provides for the creation of the Green Governments Coordinating Council and sets out the composition and responsibilities of the Council. Gives the Council the authority to solicit and receive grants to fulfill the Council's functions and to solicit, use, and publish advice and information to assist in the Council's duties. Provides that participation in the Green Governments Illinois program by units of State and local government and educational institutions is voluntary. Sets out responsibilities of State agencies under the Act. Provides that a member of the Lieutenant Governor's staff shall be responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a Green Governments Illinois website with specified content. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Library District Act. Provides that the balance in the working cash fund may not exceed 0.2% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property in the district (instead of 0.2% of the equalized assessed value of taxable property for the year the fund was established or, for funds established after January 1, 1979, for the year 1978). Provides that the library district board may invest temporarily idle moneys from the district's working cash fund. Provides that the interest earned from the investments may be transferred to the general fund or may remain in the working cash fund, provided that the balance of the working cash fund does not exceed the statutory maximum. Provides that, if a working cash fund is abolished, it may be reestablished in the same manner as the fund was originally created. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall establish and administer a program to make grants to municipalities whose buildings conform with the United States Green Building Council's Leadership on Energy and Design (LEED) rating system.
Urges the Government of Turkey to uphold and safeguard religious and human rights without compromise, cease its discrimination of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate appropriate international recognition, ecclesiastic succession, the right to train clergy of all nationalities, and to respect the property rights and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Provides that "person subject to involuntary admission" includes (i) a person with mental illness and who because of his or her illness is reasonably expected to engage in dangerous conduct (instead of reasonably expected to inflict serious physical harm upon himself or herself or another in the near future) and (ii) a person with mental illness who, because of the nature of his or her illness, is unable to understand his or her need for treatment and who, if not treated, is reasonably expected to suffer or continue to suffer mental deterioration or emotional deterioration, or both, to the point that the person is reasonably expected to engage in dangerous conduct. Defines "dangerous conduct" as threatening behavior or conduct that places another individual in reasonable expectation of being harmed, or a person's inability to provide, without the assistance of family or outside help, for his or her basic physical needs so as to guard himself or herself from serious harm.
Amends the School Code. Provides that any information of a personal nature disclosed by a pupil 12 years of age or older in the process of receiving (i) school counseling services from a school counselor or school counselor intern, (ii) school psychological services from a school psychologist or school psychologist intern, or (iii) school social work services from a school social worker or school social worker intern is confidential, and provides that any information of a personal nature disclosed to a school counselor or school counselor intern, a school psychologist or school psychologist intern, or a school social worker or school social worker intern by a parent or guardian of such a pupil is confidential. Provides that the information must not become part of the pupil's record without the written consent of the person who disclosed the confidential information. Provides that the information must not be revealed, released, discussed, or referred to, with exceptions. Provides that no person required to keep the information confidential may incur any civil or criminal liability as a result of keeping that information confidential. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 and the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a person convicted of financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability shall be sentenced to a minimum term of imprisonment of one year for a Class 4 felony violation, 2 years for a Class 3 felony violation, 3 years for a Class 2 felony violation, and 4 years for a Class 1 felony violation.
Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education's annual report to the General Assembly and Governor shall include the total expenditures made by school districts on special education services, including a breakdown of State and federally reimbursed expenditures and non-reimbursed expenditures as reported by school districts. Provides that a board of education shall file as an attachment to its annual budget a report that contains the total amount spent on special education services, including the expenditures reimbursed by the State and the expenditures not reimbursed by the State. Requires this report to be filed with the State Board. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
