Amends the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act. Provides that a "mandated reporter" under the Act includes (i) any bank, savings and loan, or credit union officer, trustee, or employee and (ii) any ambulatory currency exchange or community currency exchange, as defined in the Currency Exchange Act, or an employee of such a currency exchange.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony for any sex offender (rather than just a child sex offender) to knowingly be present in any public park building or on real property comprising any public park or to knowingly loiter on a public way within 500 feet of a public park building or real property comprising any public park.
Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that assessment officials may consider foreclosure sales and short sales of comparable properties when determining fair cash value. Provides that boards of review and boards of appeals may consider foreclosure sales and short sales of comparable properties for the purpose of revising and correcting assessments and must consider those sales of comparable properties submitted by the taxpayer. Effective immediately.
Amends the Home Repair Fraud Act. Provides that a person commits the offense of aggravated home repair fraud when he commits home repair fraud in connection with a home repair project intended to assist a disabled person. Provides that aggravated home repair involving misrepresentation or deception is a Class 3 (instead of Class 4) felony when the amount of the contract or agreement is $500 or less and a Class 2 (instead of Class 3) felony for a second or subsequent offense when the amount of the contract or agreement is $500 or less. Effective immediately.
Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that a person is not eligible to serve on the board of any fire protection district if that person has been convicted of a felony under the laws of this State or comparable laws of any other state or the United States or is in arrears in the payment of a tax or other indebtedness due to a fire protection district. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Deletes language providing that before July 1, 2006 and after June 30, 2010, the State Board of Education shall provide the primary source of funding through appropriations for the grants for preschool educational program and the funds shall be distributed for the benefit of children who because of their home and community environment are subject to such language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages that they have been determined as a result of screening procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Deletes language that provides that screening procedures shall be based on criteria established by the State Board of Education. Removes the date restrictions of July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2010 on the requirement that the State Board of Education shall provide the primary source of funding through appropriations for the program. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act concerning agricultural assistance. Authorizes the Authority to insure and make advance commitments to insure payments on bonds issued for agricultural assistance. Authorizes the Authority to issue State Guarantees to lenders for working capital loans to finance planting and raising agricultural commodities. Sets forth eligibility, application, and renewal requirements. Establishes fees and loan limits. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.
Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a Representative District (for election of a member of the House of Representatives) need not be entirely within a single Senatorial District (for election of a member of the Senate, now referred to as a Legislative District). Provides that (i) the Senate redistricts Senatorial Districts by resolution adopted by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected and (ii) the House of Representatives redistricts Representative Districts by resolution adopted by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected (now, redistricting is by law). Eliminates the Legislative Redistricting Commission. Provides instead that if a Senatorial or Representative redistricting plan is not adopted by June 15 of the year following a federal decennial census year, then the State Board of Elections shall produce a redistricting plan using a computer program. Requires the State Board of Elections to designate its computer program by April 15. The computer program designated by the State Board of Elections must disregard specified data and must consider certain prioritized factors; the computer program shall otherwise produce districts in a random manner. Authorizes the House and Senate to designate different computer programs for their respective chambers; doing so requires adoption of a resolution by a three-fifths vote on or before June 15. Removes the requirement that actions concerning redistricting the House or Senate may be initiated only by the Attorney General. Increases the number of Representatives from 118 to 119. Proposes to amend the Constitutional Revision Article to make a change to conform nomenclature. Effective beginning with redistricting in 2011 and applies to members elected in 2012 and thereafter.
Amends the Credit Agreements Act. Provides that specified provisions shall not constitute a defense to a claim that arises out of bad faith conduct intended to unjustly benefit a creditor or a third party. Provides that the mere failure by a creditor to enter into a credit agreement with or to provide a written commitment to a debtor, without more, shall not constitute bad faith under specified provisions. Provides for the legislative intent of the General Assembly and that certain provisions apply to pending actions as well as actions commenced on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Establishes a Streamlining Illinois' Educational Delivery Systems Task Force. Requires the Task Force to explore and examine all duties of the State Board of Education and regional offices of education in order to determine which duties and responsibilities a regional office of education could more appropriately and efficiently deliver to school districts. Requires the Task Force to also make recommendations as to the amount of funding that the regional offices of education would need in order to successfully incorporate their new duties into their current office responsibilities. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 15, 2010. Abolishes the Task Force and repeals these provisions on January 16, 2010. Effective immediately.
