Congratulates Jeffrey Wright on the occasion of being the recipient of the Gold Hugo Career Achievement Award.
Mourns the passing of Gay Lloyd Smith.
Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 in the Public Utilities Act. Changes the definition of "mandatory transition period" to include the period from the effective date through the date on which the Illinois Commerce Commission has approved declarations of competitive service for all classes of service offered in the service areas of all electric utilities that, on December 31, 2005, served at least 100,000 but fewer than 2 million residential customers. Requires the Commission to order certain utilities to file and implement tariffs to reinstate all 2006 rates beginning on the first day of the month immediately following the effective date. Prohibits the Commission from taking certain actions prior to 6 months after the effective date with respect to (i) initiating, authorizing, or ordering any change by way of increase or (ii) in approving an application for a merger, imposing a condition requiring any filing for an increase, decrease, or change in or other review of a utility's rates or enforcing such a condition. Provides that the Commission shall only declare the class of service to be competitive according to certain criteria (now, the Commission is required to declare the service to be competitive if the service or a reasonably equivalent substitute is available at a reasonable price from other providers other than the utility or an affiliate and the utility has lost or is reasonably likely to lose business for service to other providers). Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Creates the School Health Center Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to initiate 20 new school health centers over a 5-year period beginning July 1, 2007, and build capacity with existing school health centers in the State. Effective immediately.
Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that the court order permitting disclosure of law enforcement records maintained by law enforcement agencies that relate to a minor who has been arrested or taken into custody before his or her 17th birthday and juvenile court records must be issued by a judge presiding over matters pursuant to the Act. Provides that for purposes of obtaining these documents, a civil subpoena is not an order of the court. Provides that in cases where the records concern a pending juvenile court case, the party seeking to inspect the records shall provide actual notice to the attorney or guardian ad litem of the minor whose records are sought. Provides that in cases where the records concern a juvenile court case that is no longer pending, the party seeking to inspect the records shall provide actual notice to the minor or the minor's parent or legal guardian, and the matter shall be referred to the chief judge presiding over matters pursuant to the Act. Provides that in determining whether the records should be available for inspection, the court shall consider the minor's interest in confidentiality and rehabilitation over the moving party's interest in obtaining the information. Provides that any records obtained in violation of these provisions shall not be admissible in any criminal or civil proceeding, or operate to disqualify a minor from subsequently holding public office or securing employment, or operate as a forfeiture of any public benefit, right, privilege, or right to receive any license granted by public authority. Effective immediately.
Amends the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act. Removes the dates on which an educational institution must have enrolled a majority of its students in degree programs and maintained an accredited status in order to not be considered to be a private business and vocational school under the Act. Effective immediately.
Creates the Clean Coal FutureGen for Illinois Act for the purpose of providing the FutureGen Alliance with adequate liability protection, land use rights, and permitting certainty to facilitate the siting of the FutureGen Project in Illinois. Contain provisions concerning transfer of title to sequestered gas and associated liabilities to the State; insurance and indemnification by the State for the Operator for certain liabilities; permits; land use, including condemnation powers; and economic incentives. Contains other provisions and a severability clause. Amends: the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law concerning financial assistance; the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act concerning high impact businesses; the Court of Claims Act and the State Lawsuit Immunity Act concerning jurisdiction; and the Eminent Domain Act concerning condemnation authority. Effective immediately.
Congratulates Elroy C. Smith on his 15 years of service to the Chicago radio industry.
Congratulates Barbara A. Williams, Principal of Williams Multiplex School, on her retirement.
Reconstitutes the Commission to Study the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Past and Present Effects on African-Americans created by SJR 31 of the 94th General Assembly.
