Rep. Kay Hatcher

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. With respect to an executive branch State employee who is the subject of an Executive Inspector General's investigation and whose agency head or ultimate jurisdictional authority agrees with the Inspector General as to disciplinary action against the employee, establishes procedures for providing a redacted version of the Inspector General's summary investigation report to the Executive Ethics Commission, to the employee, and to the public, under certain circumstances.

Amends the Park District Code. Provides that a person is not eligible to serve as park commissioner if that person is in arrears in the payment of a tax or other indebtedness due to the park district or has been convicted in any court located in the United States of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony. Effective immediately.

Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Provides that a person may not under any circumstances charge a fee to a claimant for assistance in completing an application form for a property tax relief grant or pharmaceutical assistance under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that specified persons who have not yet submitted a sample of blood, saliva, or tissue shall be required to submit a specimen of blood, saliva, or tissue prior to their final discharge or within 6 months from the effective date of the amendatory Act, whichever is sooner. Provides that "these specimens shall be placed into the State or national DNA database, to be used in accordance with other provisions of this Act, by the Illinois State Police". Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. With respect to the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, provides that not less than 11% (instead of exactly 11%) of the grant shall be used to fund programs for children ages 0-3. Provides that this percentage shall increase to at least 20% by Fiscal Year 2015, except that if, in a given fiscal year, the amount appropriated for the Early Childhood Education Block Grant is insufficient to increase the percentage of the grant to fund programs for children ages 0-3 without reducing the amount of the grant for existing providers of preschool education programs, then the percentage of the grant to fund programs for children ages 0-3 may be held steady instead of increased. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Authorizes hunters to use and possess tree-climbing and tree-cutting devices while hunting coyotes. Effective immediately.

Amends provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act requiring the Director of Employment Security to make available to the Department of State Police, upon request, information concerning the place of employment or former places of employment of a person who is required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Act. Expands those provisions to include disclosure of the current address of a person required to register as a sex offender, and to require disclosure of the information to a county sheriff's office or a municipal police department. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code and the Counties Code. Provides that it is a State's Attorney's duty to notify the State Superintendent of Education and others upon the conviction of any individual known to possess a certificate issued under the School Code of any of certain offenses or any other felony conviction. In the criminal history records check provisions of the School Code, makes changes concerning the offenses for which a school board may not knowingly employ a person. Provides that no one may be certified to teach or supervise in the public schools who has been convicted of certain offenses (instead of providing that in determining good character, any felony conviction of an applicant may be taken into consideration, but such a conviction shall not operate as a bar to registration). In provisions concerning suspension or revocation of a certificate, provides that the State Superintendent of Education has the exclusive authority to initiate the suspension of up to 5 calendar years or revocation of any certificate (instead of providing that a certificate may be suspended for a period not to exceed one calendar year by the regional superintendent of schools or for a period not to exceed 5 calendar years by the State Superintendent). With respect to certificate suspension and revocation, makes changes concerning an investigation, notice, a hearing, an appeal, and the offenses that are grounds for suspension and revocation. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education's master plan to include higher education affordability and accessibility measures.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and the Illinois Income Tax Act. Authorizes the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish systems and programs to encourage employers to match employee contributions to prepaid programs of college savings by making donations to the Commission for prepaid programs of college savings and its programs of grants and loans to make higher education affordable for all residents of the State and to receive, hold, and disburse all such funds made available through those programs for the purposes for which they are authorized by rule or by law. Creates an income tax credit for employers who, during the taxable year, make a matching donation on behalf of an employee. Provides that the credit is 25% of the matching donation, but not to exceed $500 per employee. Provides that the credit may be carried forward for 3 taxable years. Effective immediately.