Rep. Esther Golar

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that a charter school shall comply with all provisions of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act; which is declaratory of existing law. Provides that "educational employer" under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act includes the governing body of a charter school; which is declaratory of existing law.

Creates the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act. Requires the State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Board of Higher Education to jointly establish and maintain a longitudinal data system by entering into one or more agreements that link early learning, elementary, and secondary school student unit records with institution of higher learning student unit records. Subject to appropriation, requires the State Board of Education to establish a data warehouse that integrates data from multiple student unit record systems and supports all of the uses and functions of the longitudinal data system. Provides that the data warehouse must be developed in cooperation with the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education and must have the ability to integrate longitudinal data from early learning through the postsecondary level. Sets forth provisions concerning the collection and maintenance of data, data sharing, privacy protection laws, and the performance of an evaluation and submission of a report. Makes changes to the Charter Schools Law of the School Code concerning not being exempt from the Act and the Illinois School Student Records Act concerning the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma. Requires the State Board of Education to implement and administer the IHOPE Program. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall award grants to educational service regions and the Chicago school district from appropriated funds to assist in establishing instructional programs and other services designed to re-enroll high school dropouts. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for regional offices of education and the Chicago school district to develop partnerships with school districts, public community colleges, and community groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school dropouts in their regions or districts. Sets forth requirements for programs funded through the IHOPE Program. Provides for an IHOPE Plan, sub-grants, how funding is distributed, State aid, categories of programming, the evaluation of programs, and rules. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the School Code. Creates the Innovation, Intervention, and Restructuring Task Force for the purpose of developing strategies to allow for the innovation, intervention, and restructuring of schools, including those that need comprehensive or focused intervention. Requires the task force to submit its strategies for allowing intervention and innovation, in the form of recommendations, in a comprehensive report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the State Superintendent of Education not later than December 31, 2009. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that each school district shall require that all students in grade 7 and all high school students enrolled in a course concerning history of the United States or a combination of history of the United States and American government view the Congressional Medal of Honor film made by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Provides that this requirement does not apply if the Congressional Medal of Honor Society charges the school district a fee for the film. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the Personnel Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 and certain other Acts. Moves, adds, deletes, repeals, and changes certain provisions. Adds or changes mental states for certain offenses. Changes certain statutory evidence presumptions to permissive inferences. Repeals various Acts, adds certain provisions from those Acts to the Criminal Code of 1961 and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, and creates the Controlled Substances Registration and Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Law, the Grain Coloring Law, the Unauthorized Sale of Certain Plants Law, the Mandatory Life Sentence Law, the Civil Liability for Certain Sex Offenses Law, the Defacing or Removing Identification Marks and Unlawful Sale of Household Appliances Law, the Odometer or Hour Meter Fraud Law, the Installation of Object in Lieu of Air Bag Law, the Fraudulent Sale of Publications Law, the Fraudulent Repair of Fire Extinguisher or Related Equipment Law, the Fraudulent Advertisements Law, the Taxpreparer Information Disclosure Law, the Auction Sales Sign Law, and the Sale of Yo-yo Waterballs Law. Makes other changes. Contains a severability clause and savings provisions. Effective January 1, 2008 if confirmed by joint resolution.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that persons under 18 years of age (rather than under 17 years of age) who commit offenses are subject to the proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for delinquent minors. Effective January 1, 2010.

Amends the Illinois Housing Development Act. Provides that the Illinois Housing Development Authority shall establish and administer a foreclosure prevention counseling program and shall use moneys in the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Fund and funds appropriated for that purpose to make grants to HUD-certified counseling agencies for home-ownership education and foreclosure prevention counseling. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Fund and provides for allocation of moneys in the Fund. Provides for the payment of license fees of $3,700 annually, including the foreclosure prevention surcharge (instead of $2,700 annually). Amends the Residential Mortgage License Act of 1987. Provides that an application for a license or a license renewal on or after July 1, 2008, shall include payment of a foreclosure prevention surcharge of $1,000. Provides that the surcharge proceeds shall be deposited into the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning missing persons.