Rep. Dan Didech

Amends the Raffles and Poker Runs Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the State Fair Gaming Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Requires a person to have a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card issued in his or her own name by the Illinois State Police in order to acquire or possess a flamethrower. Exempts certain military, law enforcement, and other specified persons. Defines flamethrower. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony to deliver a flamethrower to a person, incidental to a sale, without withholding delivery of the flamethrower for at least 72 hours after application for its purchase has been made.

Amends the Arsonist Registration Act, the Sex Offender Registration Act, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. Provides that a person required to register under the Act may change her or his name if the change is due to marriage, religious beliefs, status as a victim of trafficking or gender-related identity as defined by the Illinois Human Rights Act. Requires the person to report the name change within 10 days to the law enforcement agency with whom they last registered. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides further requirements for when name changes may and may not be granted. Provides that a petition for this change shall be a statewide, standardized form approved by the Illinois Supreme Court and include a warning about when a name change may be charged as a felony. Provides when an objection to the name change may be filed. Deletes notice by publication language. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 735 ILCS 5/21-103 rep. Adds reference to: 735 ILCS 5/21-103 from Ch. 110, par. 21-103 Deletes a provision concerning objections relating to specificity, timing, filing, and form. Provides that a person who has been convicted of a felony offense in this State or any other state and whose sentence has not been terminated, completed, or discharged is not permitted to file a petition for a name change in the courts of this State unless that person is pardoned for the offense. Adds "name" to two section headings to reflect the duty to report a legal name change. Provides that certain objections shall be served upon the petitioner. Replaces a repeal of a provision concerning notice by publication with a change to the provision providing that the court may issue an order directing that the notice and publication requirement be waived for a change of name involving a person who files with the court a statement verified under oath that the person believes that publishing notice of the name change would be a hardship, including but not limited to, a negative impact on the person's health or safety. Provides that in a case where waiver of the notice and publication requirement is sought, the petition for waiver will be presumed granted and heard at the same hearing as the petition for name change. Provides that the court retains discretion to determine whether a hardship is shown and may order the petitioner to publish thereafter.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits the State Board of Education from developing, purchasing, or requiring a school district to administer, develop, or purchase a standardized assessment for students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2, other than for diagnostic purposes. Prohibits the State Board of Education from providing funding for any standardized assessment of students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Changes references from "diagnostic purposes" to "diagnostic and screening purposes". Adds bilingual education, dyslexia services, or other related educational services to the definition of "diagnostic and screening purposes". Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-15 new Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/34-8.1 from Ch. 122, par. 34-8.1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. Makes changes concerning the Chicago Board of Education's requirements and criteria for the position of principal of an attendance center. Provides that if the requirements and criteria result or may result in the exclusion of otherwise qualified and licensed candidates from being eligible for selection to serve as a principal, then the Board shall maintain a public database that includes the names of all of the candidates who are eligible to be selected as a principal and who do not choose to not have their name included in the database. Requires the Board to establish a grievance and hearing procedure for those candidates the general superintendent has deemed ineligible to serve as a principal. Makes changes concerning the use of performance evaluations in determining that a principal is no longer eligible to seek a principal position at an attendance center. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Allows specified actions to be performed by the designee of the Director of Veterans' Affairs. Provides that the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation shall (currently, may) be assisted in carrying out its functions by Department of Veterans' Affairs personnel, including legal professionals. Requires the Foundation's audit to be included in the Department's audit and to be prepared by the Department. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Deletes the term "no-wrong-door" in provisions regarding the system of support for service members, veterans, and their families. Removes provisions requiring the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation (Foundation) to utilize working groups when convening military and veteran support organizations and when providing policy recommendations that benefit service members, veterans, and their families. Removes provisions requiring the Foundation to facilitate the transfer of information and knowledge among Illinois Joining Forces member organizations. Makes changes to the definition of "veterans service organization". Provides that the Foundation may also include up to 18 additional voting members of the Board of Directors: 9 members to be nominated and approved by the Board of Directors according to the Foundation's bylaws, and 9 members to be nominated by the Director of Veterans' Affairs or the Director of Military Affairs. Provides that, to ensure parity, no additional nominees may be considered by the Board of Directors unless a like appointment is made by the Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of Military Affairs, and vice versa. Provides that, in consultation with the Foundation's Board of Directors, the Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of Military Affairs may adopt other rules deemed necessary to govern Foundation procedures (rather than the Department of Veterans' Affairs may adopt rules in consultation with the Department of Military Affairs). Permits the Foundation to receive administrative support including, but not limited to, legal professionals or additionally agreed upon support as needed or requested, from either the Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of Military Affairs. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 2805/37 Adds reference to: 55 ILCS 5/5-2006 from Ch. 34, par. 5-2006 330 ILCS 45/1 from Ch. 23, par. 3081 330 ILCS 45/2 from Ch. 23, par. 3082 330 ILCS 45/8 from Ch. 23, par. 3088 330 ILCS 45/9 from Ch. 23, par. 3089 330 ILCS 45/9.1 new 330 ILCS 45/9.2 new 330 ILCS 45/10 from Ch. 23, par. 3090 330 ILCS 45/12 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Requires the commander, quartermaster, or commandant of any veteran service organization or the superintendent of any county Veterans Assistance Commission to annually report to the president or chairperson of the county board certain transactions of the veteran service organization or Veterans Assistance Commission. Provides that delegates and alternates selected and duly appointed to sit on a county's Veterans Assistance Commission shall begin their term of office with full voting rights and that once selected, delegates and alternates are bound by the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act. Provides that all undertakings of, or actions taken by, the Veterans Assistance Commission shall require a vote from a majority of the full commission membership. Provides that no superintendent or any other employee of the Veterans Assistance Commission may retain the position of delegate or alternate or any voting rights while employed by the Veterans Assistance Commission. Provides that the superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission is an at-will employee. Contains provisions concerning the annual evaluations of the superintendent; voting requirements to remove a superintendent; and other matters. Requires each Veterans Assistance Commission to establish and maintain bylaws, perform an annual audit, and other matters. Permits the Attorney General to conduct investigations and commence civil actions to enforce the Act. Sets forth provisions concerning recovery amounts and civil penalties. Contains provisions concerning superintendent vacancies; and county benefits and services for Veterans Assistance Commission employees. Limits home rule powers. Makes other changes. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a portion of the proceeds of any property tax levied by a county shall be used for the authorized reimbursement of any officer or employee of the Veterans Assistance Commission. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Expands the crime of bribery to include an elector of President and Vice-President of the United States (in addition to public officers, public employees, jurors, and witnesses).

Amends the Election Code. Provides that any person appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate shall be affiliated with the same political party as the person vacating the office if the person vacating the office was elected as a member of an established political party that is still in existence at the time of appointment. Provides that the appointee shall establish his or her political party affiliation by his or her record of voting in party primary elections or by holding or having held an office in a political party organization before appointment. Effective immediately.