Creates the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force Act. Creates the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force. Requires the Task Force to analyze (i) programs and policies of the State to determine what changes, modifications, and innovations may be necessary to remove barriers to competitive employment and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities, (ii) State disability systems, including the mental health, developmental disabilities, veterans' assistance, workforce investment, and rehabilitation services systems, and their effect on employment of persons with disabilities, and (iii) applicable research and policy studies, innovations used in other States, and any federal policy initiatives such as customized employment, and federal funding opportunities that would increase competitive employment and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities in Illinois. Requires the Task Force to meet for the first time no later than 90 days after the effective date. Requires the Task Force to produce an annual report of its activities and recommendations and to issue that report no later than May 1st of each year, beginning May 1, 2010. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
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 School Code. Requires each school superintendent to create a program to ensure that students attending the schools that he or she manages cannot access those schools' grounds for at least 12 hours after those grounds are treated with a lawn care product. Requires each district superintendent to appoint a Lawn Care Coordinator whose duty it shall be (i) to implement that program, (ii) to supervise the provision of notice under subdivision (f)(2) of Section 3 of the Lawn Care Products Application and Notice Act, and (3) if the district adopts a pesticide-free turf care program, to supervise that program. Amends the Lawn Care Products Application and Notice Act. Requires applicators for hire to provide additional types of information to customers. Requires the owners or operators of day care centers to provide parents with one of two types of notice before applying pesticide or having pesticide applied to day center grounds (now, only school districts must provide that notice). Requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to inform school boards and the owners and operators of day care centers about these requirements. Requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to report violations to the Department of Agriculture for enforcement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Homelessness Prevention Act. Provides that assistance offered to households by grantees under the Act shall include payment of a mortgage arrearage in an amount established as necessary to defeat a foreclosure. Provides that program staff shall determine whether the household has remained in the residence in which they were residing at the time assistance was provided, and determine whether the living situation of the household is stable, after the end of each State fiscal year and as determined by the Department of Human Services (instead of 6 months after assistance was provided). Effective immediately.
Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Defines "mentally capable adult relative" and "physically capable adult relative". Provides that a minor shall not be considered neglected or dependent for the sole reason that the minor's parent or parents or other person or persons responsible for the minor's welfare have left the minor in the care of a physically and mentally capable adult relative who is willing and able to care for the minor for any period of time. Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that an assault using an air rifle constitutes aggravated assault. Provides that the penalty for aggravated battery involving the use of a firearm does not include an air rifle as defined by the Air Rifle Act. Amends the Air Rifle Act. Eliminates the maximum $50 fine that may be imposed for violation of the Act by a person who is not a dealer of air rifles. Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of criminal street gang recruitment of a minor. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she threatens the use of physical force to coerce, solicit, recruit, or induce another person to join or remain a member of a criminal street gang, or conspires to do so, whether or not such threat is communicated in person, by means of the Internet, or by means of a telecommunications device. Provides that the penalty is a Class 1 felony.
Amends the Department of State Police Law and the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the Illinois Police Training Act, and the Missing Persons Identification Act. With respect to the State Police's missing endangered senior alert system: (i) refers to the alerts as "Silver" Alerts; (ii) requires that the Department coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in the public dissemination of the alerts and the promotion of the system; and (iii) requires that local law enforcement agencies provide for prompt use of Silver Alerts and public dissemination of photographs of missing endangered seniors. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. Makes changes concerning the purposes and goals of the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative, the definitions of certain terms, including adding a definition of "cohort", the composition of a consortium, candidate qualifications, a cohort's education (instead of training), collective consortium decision-making, supportive services, the program of forgivable loans, the award of grants under the Initiative, the inclusion of certain costs in program budgets, and funds to cover the salary of a site-based cohort coordinator. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Requires grantees under the Preschool for All Children program to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the appropriate local Head Start agency no later than 3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the program and, in the case of the 2009-2010 program year, no later than the deadline set by the State Board of Education for applications to participate in the program in fiscal year 2011. Sets forth certain issues that the memorandum must address. Suspends the memorandum of understanding requirement if the local Head Start agency is unable or unwilling to enter into the memorandum. Effective immediately.