Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Provides that a person may not under any circumstances charge a fee to a claimant for assistance in completing an application form for a property tax relief grant or pharmaceutical assistance under the Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Authority is authorized to issue bonds or notes in an amount not to exceed $450,000 (now, $250,000). Provides that in any calendar year after 2007, the $450,000 amount shall be increased by an amount equal to such dollar amount multiplied by the inflation percentage determined under Section 305(c) of the federal Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1925) as of June 18, 2008. Provides that any increase must be rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. Effective immediately.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that specified persons who have not yet submitted a sample of blood, saliva, or tissue shall be required to submit a specimen of blood, saliva, or tissue prior to their final discharge or within 6 months from the effective date of the amendatory Act, whichever is sooner. Provides that "these specimens shall be placed into the State or national DNA database, to be used in accordance with other provisions of this Act, by the Illinois State Police". Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Requires school districts to annually submit to the State Board of Education an itemized salary compensation report for every certificated employee in the district, including teachers, administrators, and the district superintendent. Sets forth what the salary compensation report must include. Provides that in a school compensation report, the State Board of Education shall make available to all parents, taxpayers, the Governor, and the General Assembly, every school district's salary compensation report on the State Board's Internet website. Provides that the school compensation report shall be an index of school compensation measured against statewide and local compensations and shall provide information to make prior year comparisons. Provides that the school compensation report shall be prepared by the State Board and provided to school districts by the most efficient, economic, and appropriate means. Effective immediately.
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 Environmental Protection Act. Redefines the term "compost" to mean compostable material that has, by composting, decomposed to the degree that it will not, when subjected to optimal thermal conditions and optimal levels of oxygen, moisture, and nutrients, reheat significantly due to the action of microorganisms, and that is also suitable (i) for use as a soil conditioner, (ii) for use as a cover material for a municipal solid waste landfill, or (iii) for another use approved by the Agency (now, the humus-like product of the process of composting waste, which may be used as a soil conditioner). Redefines the term "composting" to mean the decomposition of compostable material into compost by a biological process that produces carbon dioxide and water as primary by-products (now, the biological treatment process by which microorganisms decompose the organic fraction of waste, producing compost). Excepts food scrap from the definition of the term "garbage". Exempts certain types of facilities, sites, portions of facilities, and portions of sites from regulation as pollution control facilities. Defines "compostable material" and "food scrap". Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Exempts from an eavesdropping violation, with prior notification to the State's Attorney of the county in which it is to occur, recording or listening with the aid of any device to any conversation where a law enforcement officer, or any person acting at the direction of law enforcement, is a party to the conversation and has consented to it being intercepted or recorded under circumstances where the use of the device is necessary for the protection of the law enforcement officer or any person acting at the direction of law enforcement, in the course of an investigation of a felony offense involving any weapon listed in the statute concerning unlawful use of weapons. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code and the Counties Code. Provides that it is a State's Attorney's duty to notify the State Superintendent of Education and others upon the conviction of any individual known to possess a certificate issued under the School Code of any of certain offenses or any other felony conviction. In the criminal history records check provisions of the School Code, makes changes concerning the offenses for which a school board may not knowingly employ a person. Provides that no one may be certified to teach or supervise in the public schools who has been convicted of certain offenses (instead of providing that in determining good character, any felony conviction of an applicant may be taken into consideration, but such a conviction shall not operate as a bar to registration). In provisions concerning suspension or revocation of a certificate, provides that the State Superintendent of Education has the exclusive authority to initiate the suspension of up to 5 calendar years or revocation of any certificate (instead of providing that a certificate may be suspended for a period not to exceed one calendar year by the regional superintendent of schools or for a period not to exceed 5 calendar years by the State Superintendent). With respect to certificate suspension and revocation, makes changes concerning an investigation, notice, a hearing, an appeal, and the offenses that are grounds for suspension and revocation. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2009.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Reenacts a Section concerning fast-track rulemaking for the Clean Air Act. Defines the terms "fast-track rulemaking" and "requires to be adopted." Provides that if the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require the adoption of rules other than identical in substance rules, then the Pollution Control Board must adopt rules under fast-track rulemaking if requested to do so by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Sets out the form for a fast-track rulemaking proposal. Sets out the procedure for a fast-track rulemaking. Provides that the Board must accept evidence and comments on the economic impact of any provision of the rule and must consider the economic impact of the rule in any fast-track rulemaking proceeding. Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of obstructing identification. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she intentionally or knowingly furnishes a false or fictitious name, residence address, or date of birth to a peace officer who has: (1) lawfully arrested the person; (2) lawfully detained the person; or (3) requested the information from a person that the peace officer has good cause to believe is a witness to a criminal offense. Provides that a violation is a Class A misdemeanor.
