Rep. Jack D. Franks

Amends the Election Code. Abolishes local canvassing boards and provides that canvasses must be done by election authorities. Requires election authorities to transmit, by fax, e-mail, or other electronic means, a certificate of the results of the election to the State Board of Elections. Amends the Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941. Provides that recounts for the office of alderman in the City of Chicago must be filed and conducted in accordance with the Election Code (instead of within 5 days after the election).

Amends the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the civil nature of proceedings.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Requires that the information submitted by the sex offender at the time of registration shall include whether the victim and the sex offender knew each other at the time of the commission of the offense, county of conviction, license plate numbers for every vehicle registered in the name of the sex offender, and any distinguishing marks located on the body of the sex offender. Requires sex offenders who were required to register annually to register every 90 days. Amends the Sex Offender and Child Murderer Community Notification Law. Provides that the Department of State Police must make the information contained in the Statewide Sex Offender Database searchable by a 5-mile radius from the sex offender's home or school attended. Requires a principal or teacher of a public or private elementary or secondary school to notify the parents of children attending the school during school registration or during parent-teacher conferences that information about sex offenders is available to the public as provided in the Act.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning instructional materials.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any person 61 years of age or older applying at a driver services facility for renewal of his or her driver's license shall be provided, without charge, with a brochure warning the person of the dangers of financial identity theft. Provides that the Secretary of State shall prepare these brochures in consultation with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Establishes requirements for the content of the brochures. Provides that the Secretary shall adopt rules for implementing the new provision.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires each electric utility to file, on or before February 1, 2006, a tariff or tariffs which allow residential retail customers in the electric utility's service area to elect real-time pricing beginning January 1, 2007. Sets forth information required to be included in the tariff. Requires an electric utility providing real-time pricing to install an appropriate meter for customers who elect to use real-time pricing and in all new service locations unless the customer requests a watt-hour meter. Requires the electric utility to contract with an Illinois nonprofit corporation to develop a program of consumer outreach, education, and enrollment concerning real-time pricing and to establish and administer information and technical and customer assistance for management of electricity use. Authorizes the electric utility to impose a uniform charge on all residential customers in order to recover its reasonable costs in complying with the real-time pricing provisions. Defines "real-time pricing" to mean tariffed retail charges for delivered electric power and energy that vary hour-to-hour (now, that vary on an hour-to-hour basis for non-residential retail customers and that vary on a periodic basis during the day for residential retail customers) and that are determined from prices posted by the Independent System Operator or by a comparable methodology approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning implementation of a new Minimum Data Set (MDS) payment methodology for nursing homes under the Medicaid program, provides that a transition period from the payment methodology in effect on June 30, 2003 to the payment methodology in effect on July 1, 2003 shall be provided for a period not exceeding 3 years and 92 days (instead of 3 years) after implementation of the new payment methodology. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984. Prohibits the custody of or visitation with a child by a person found to be the father of the child under the Act, if the father has been convicted or pled guilty to one of the listed offenses and that offense was related to his conduct in the fathering of the child. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Creates a pilot class size reduction grant program, to be implemented and administered by the State Board of Education. Provides that grants shall be awarded to schools to defray the costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes of no more than 15 pupils per teacher per class. Effective July 1, 2006.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Requires a person charged with committing a violent crime against a family or household member to appear before the court for the setting of bail if specified conditions are met. Requires a court to consider enumerated factors in setting bail for a person who is charged with committing a violent crime against a family or household member and who is required to appear before the court for the setting of bail. Provides that a court may permit a person who is charged with committing a violent crime against a family or household member and who is required to appear before the court for the setting of bail to appear by video conferencing equipment. Authorizes the court to waive the appearance for the setting of bail of a person who is charged with committing a misdemeanor offense of violence against a family or household member and to set bail in accordance with specified criteria.