Rep. Karen May

Amends the Cigarette Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Removes language that terminates the earned income tax credit with taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2002. Exempts the credit from the sunset requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Circuit Courts Act and the Judicial Vacancies Act. Adds 3 resident judgeships to the twelfth judicial circuit, 3 resident judgeships to the eighteenth circuit, and 4 resident judgeships to the nineteenth judicial circuit. Requires that the additional judgeships be filled beginning at the 2006 general election and prohibits appointments to fill those judgeships before the 2006 general election. Requires that by January 1, 2005, the General Assembly divide those circuits into subcircuits. Requires that the Supreme Court allot the additional judgeships and the other resident judgeships, as they become vacant (other than for election in 2004), to the various subcircuits to be filled by election until the appropriate number of resident judges is elected from each subcircuit. Requires the Supreme Court to determine by lot the numerical order of the subcircuits for the purpose of assigning resident judgeships to subcircuits.

Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Provides that beginning in the calendar year 2004 and until December 31, 2008, a total of 5 additional enterprise zones may be certified by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.

Amends the Financial Identity Theft and Asset Forfeiture Law of the Criminal Code of 1961. Changes the name of the Article to the Identity Theft Law and the names of the offenses of financial identity theft and aggravated financial identity theft to identity theft and aggravated identity theft. Includes in the offense of identity theft: (1) using any personal identification information or personal identification document of another with intent to commit any theft or felony violation of Illinois State law; (2) obtaining, recording, possessing, selling, transferring, purchasing, or manufacturing any personal identification information or personal identification document with intent to commit or to aid or abet another in committing any theft or felony violation of Illinois State law; (3) using, obtaining, recording, possessing, selling, transferring, purchasing or manufacturing any personal identification information or personal identification document of another knowing that such personal identification information or personal identification documents were stolen or produced without lawful authority; or (4) using, transferring, or possessing document-making implements to produce false identification or false documents with knowledge that they will be used by the offender or another to commit any theft or felony violation of State law. Effective immediately.

Amends the Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act. Provides that any agricultural area shall not be less than 350 acres in all counties with a population of less than 600,000 and not less than 100 acres in all counties with a population of 600,000 or more. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning legislative findings.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Adds licensed professional counselors and licensed clinical professional counselors to the list of persons required to report possible child abuse or neglect. Effective immediately.

Amends the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act. Makes a technical change in the Section relating to the short title.

Amends the Income Tax Act to create the Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) Research Fund checkoff. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall print on its standard individual income tax form a provision indicating that if the taxpayer wishes to contribute to the Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) Research Fund, he or she may do so by stating the amount of the contribution on the return and that the contribution will reduce the taxpayer's refund or increase the amount of payment to accompany the return. Amends the Department of Public Aid Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Public Aid shall make grants from the Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) Research Fund to the Les Turner ALS Foundation for research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Amends the State Finance Act to create the Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) Research Fund. Effective immediately.