Rep. Sidney H. Mathias

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Creates the offense of use of a child to commit a controlled substance offense. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she is 17 years of age or over and commits a felony delivery or felony attempted delivery of a controlled substance in violation of the Act and, as part of that criminal transaction, knowingly uses a child under 17 years of age to effectuate the felony delivery or felony attempted delivery of the controlled substance. Provides that the penalty is a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code with respect to the general homestead exemption. Makes a technical change.

Amends the Telecommunications Article of the Public Utilities Act. Provides that new telephone numbers shall not be allocated to telecommunications carriers in blocks of more than 1,000 numbers. Directs the Illinois Commerce Commission to adopt rules requiring the return of unused numbers for reallocation. Provides that the Commission shall not authorize the creation of a new area code within an existing area code in Cook County or any of the the collar counties unless at least 75% of the potentially available telephone numbers within the existing area code are being used by consumers of telecommunications services.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that separate classifications for landscape plantsman, landscape driver, and landscape equipment operator shall be recognized, and the prevailing rate of hourly wages for those classifications shall be the rates that prevail in the landscape industry as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Creates the offense of use of a child to commit a controlled substance offense. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she is 18 years of age or over and commits a felony delivery or felony attempted delivery of a controlled substance in violation of the Act and, as part of that criminal transaction, knowingly uses a child under 16 years of age to effectuate the felony delivery or felony attempted delivery of the controlled substance. Provides that the penalty is a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Makes a technical change to a Section concerning school land donations.

Amends the School Code. Creates the Professional Teacher Standards Board consisting of 11 members appointed by the Governor to administer the Article of the School Code governing the certification of teachers and other certificated school personnel and the approval of teacher and administrator preparation programs. Gives the Professional Teacher Standards Board all powers and duties currently exercised by the State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board with respect to administration of the certification and program approval process, and abolishes the State Teacher Certification Board. Authorizes the Professional Teacher Standards Board to employ an Executive Director and such other staff members as are necessary to exercise its powers and duties and carry out its functions. Provides that a Standard Certificate may be renewed based on proof of professional development (instead of on proof of continuing education or professional development). Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2003.

Amends the State Finance Act. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Truth in Taxation Law of the Property Tax Code. Provides that the required notice of the public hearing on a proposed tax levy must state the dollar amount of the final aggregate levy as extended, plus the amount abated by the taxing district prior to the extension (now, dollar amount) of the property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for the preceding year.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and the State Finance Act. Creates the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Fund. Provides for the issuance of Ovarian Cancer Awareness license plates. Provides that in addition to the appropriate registration fees, an applicant for the special plate shall be charged an original issuance fee of $25 and a fee of $25 for each renewal. Provides that $10 of the additional original issuance fee and $23 of the renewal fee shall be deposited into the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Fund. Provides that $15 of the original issuance fee and $2 of the renewal fee shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. Provides that, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and approval by the Secretary of State, the moneys in the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Fund shall be paid as grants to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Inc. for ovarian cancer research, education, screening, and treatment. Effective immediately.