Rep. Karen May

Congratulates Larry and Lillian Goodman of Highland Park.

Congratulates Joel M. Carp of Highland Park, Senior Vice President for Community Services and Government Relations of the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, on the occasion of his retirement after almost 30 years in the social services field.

Congratulates Jack Hicks on the occasion of his retirement after 34 years at the Deerfield Public Library.

Amends the IMRF Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Prohibits a person convicted of a felony relating to or arising out of or in connection with his or her service as an employee who is an employee of more than one employer that participates in the Fund from receiving benefits based on any of his or her service as an employee for all employers that participate in the Fund. Provides that, if, as a result of the felony, the employee is ordered by the court to pay restitution to the employer, then (i) the employer may apply for a refund of employee contributions on the employee's behalf and (ii) pursuant to appropriate documentation from the employer and the court, the Fund shall pay to the employer all or a portion of the refund in a sum sufficient to satisfy the court-ordered restitution. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code with respect to special education classes for children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes, or in-State housing units. In a provision that allows reimbursement for the costs of educating a disabled student who is placed residentially by a State agency or the courts for care or custody, welfare, medical or mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and protection, provides that it is the intent of that provision that school districts be reimbursed for the eligible costs of educating all students residentially placed by a State agency or the courts for any of the reasons listed whether such placement was made on, before, or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning bond.

Amends the Election Code. Abolishes local canvassing boards and provides that canvasses must be done by election authorities. Requires election authorities to transmit, by fax, e-mail, or other electronic means, a certificate of the results of the election to the State Board of Elections. Amends the Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941. Provides that recounts for the office of alderman in the City of Chicago must be filed and conducted in accordance with the Election Code (instead of within 5 days after the election).

Creates the Business Location Efficiency Incentive Act. Authorizes companies applying to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for certain economic development assistance tax credits to seek increased or extended tax credits if (i) the company's proposed project site is located in an area that capitalizes upon affordable workforce housing or accessible mass transit, (ii) the company submits to the Department an approved remediation plan to improve housing or access to mass transit, or (iii) the company's project is located in labor surplus areas. Provides for the Department's awarding of such incentives. Repeals the Act on December 31, 2011. Effective January 1, 2007.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires each electric utility to file, on or before February 1, 2006, a tariff or tariffs which allow residential retail customers in the electric utility's service area to elect real-time pricing beginning January 1, 2007. Sets forth information required to be included in the tariff. Requires an electric utility providing real-time pricing to install an appropriate meter for customers who elect to use real-time pricing and in all new service locations unless the customer requests a watt-hour meter. Requires the electric utility to contract with an Illinois nonprofit corporation to develop a program of consumer outreach, education, and enrollment concerning real-time pricing and to establish and administer information and technical and customer assistance for management of electricity use. Authorizes the electric utility to impose a uniform charge on all residential customers in order to recover its reasonable costs in complying with the real-time pricing provisions. Defines "real-time pricing" to mean tariffed retail charges for delivered electric power and energy that vary hour-to-hour (now, that vary on an hour-to-hour basis for non-residential retail customers and that vary on a periodic basis during the day for residential retail customers) and that are determined from prices posted by the Independent System Operator or by a comparable methodology approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning eligibility for financial aid under the Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD) program for individuals who have been found ineligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to expiration of the period of eligibility for refugees and asylees under federal law, deletes a provision that such financial aid is available until July 1, 2006. Provides that in enacting this amendatory Act, the General Assembly specifically intends that AABD financial aid for persons who have been found ineligible for SSI due to expiration of the period of eligibility for refugees and asylees under federal law shall not be available only until July 1, 2006 but shall remain available on and after July 1, 2006 until the General Assembly expressly provides otherwise. Effective immediately.