Rep. Sandra M. Pihos

Mourns the passing in Afghanistan of Army Specialist Samuel T. Watts.

Amends the School Code. Provides that after June 1, 2012 persons may not be nominated for General Assembly scholarships and that General Assembly scholarships may not be awarded after that date unless the nomination is made prior to that date. Prevents both second nominations for any lapsed General Assembly scholarship and nominating persons to the unused or unexpired parts of any vacated General Assembly scholarship after June 1, 2012. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and adopts the Nurse Licensure Compact. Allows for reciprocity of licensure of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses among the states. Provides for administration of the Compact by the Nursing Act Coordinator. Provides that the licensing board shall participate in a Compact Evaluation Initiative designed to evaluate the effectiveness and operability of the Compact. Provides that the Compact does not relieve employers from complying with statutorily imposed obligations. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Makes changes relating to the purposes of the Compact. Effective January 1, 2012.

Amends the Legislative Audit Commission Act. In provisions concerning the Legislative Audit Commission's review of audit reports relating to agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction, provides that the Legislative Audit Commission shall promptly advise, in writing, the Governor of any areas of disagreement concerning the audit reports. Provides that the advisement must be posted on the Legislative Audit Commission's official Internet website. Provides that the Governor's response to the Legislative Audit Commission's advisement must be made in writing and posted on the Legislative Audit Commission's website. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 in relation to child pornography. Provides that the commission of the offense by filming or videotaping or creating a moving image or possession of such films, videotapes, or moving images is a felony one class higher than photographing or possessing photographs of child pornography. Provides that telecommunications carriers, commercial mobile service providers, and providers of information services, including, but not limited to, Internet service providers and hosting service providers, are not liable under the child pornography statute, except for willful and wanton misconduct, by virtue of the transmission, storage, or caching of electronic communications or messages of others or by virtue of the provision of other related telecommunications, commercial mobile services, or information services used by others in violation of the child pornography statute.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2013 registration year, the Secretary of State may reissue only those non-military and non-veteran special plates that belong to any plate category for which the Secretary has received at least 3,000 applications as of the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that persons who have been issued special plates that are discontinued under the new provision may continue to display those special plates, and the Secretary shall continue to accept annual fees for renewal stickers for those plates from those persons. Provides that the Secretary shall no longer issue any new category of special plates. Provides that persons and organizations seeking issuance of special plates, and persons holding discontinued plates who need to replace them, may apply for Universal Charitable Organization license plates and decals under the Code.

Amends the School Code and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes changes concerning notification of the public hearing on a waiver or modification of a mandate within the School Code or administrative rules and waivers and modifications for contracting with a commercial driver training school. Makes changes concerning driver education course reimbursement, the adoption of standards for driver education and driver education course content, a report on the per capita driver education cost for school districts, and the safety testing of motor vehicles used for driver education training. Effective January 1, 2013.

Amends the School Code. Increases from $50 to $250 the maximum fee that a school district may charge to a student who participates in a driver education course.

Amends the Public Employee Disability Act. Excludes from the definition of "eligible employee" any full-time law enforcement officer or full-time firefighter who is employed by a unit of local government. Removes a provision that preempted the power of home rule units to act inconsistently with the requirements of the Act, as well as a provision that exempted from the requirements of the Act municipalities having a population of over 1,000,000. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2011, no scholarships may be awarded under provisions that permit members of the General Assembly to award scholarships to persons for attendance at a State-sponsored university. A scholarship awarded before July 1, 2011 is valid until its stated term expires, but may not be renewed. Effective July 1, 2011.