Rep. Timothy L. Schmitz

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that any municipality that owns or operates a public utility may collect delinquent utility charges that are owed to that public utility as a special assessment if the charges are more than 90-days past due. Provides that a municipality may impose a special assessment for the purpose of collecting costs associated with the removal of nuisance greenery. Effective immediately.

Amends the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that the Director of Revenue may divulge information from a taxpayer's return or an investigation to the government of a municipality (now, any village that does not levy any real property taxes for village operations and receives 60% of its general corporate revenue from taxes under the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act). Makes other changes.

Amends the General Assembly Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, beginning on the effective date of the amendatory Act, if a member is receiving a retirement annuity under the Article and is elected or appointed to a position that is subject to election under the Election Code and if the annual salary the member is to receive in that position exceeds the lowest annual salary paid to a General Assembly member for service in the General Assembly, as calculated on the date of election or appointment, then the person's retirement annuity under the Article shall be suspended during that employment. Provides that, upon termination of that employment, the person's retirement annuity shall resume and, if appropriate, be recalculated. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that certain counties with a population of more than 500,000 may collect a reasonable administrative tow fee that shall be deposited into the county's general fund for payment of costs incurred by the sheriff in towing a vehicle. Further provides that an administrative tow fee does not have to be collected by the towing company, and if the vehicle is abandoned, then the towing company is not responsible for paying the tow fee to the county. Effective immediately.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that the minimum procedures, with respect to medical staff and clinical privilege determinations concerning current medical members of the medical staff, shall include the right to be represented by a personal attorney throughout the medical staff credentialing process. Effective immediately.

Amends the Clerks of Courts Act. Provides that the clerk of the circuit clerk, if authorized by an ordinance of the county board, may collect a fee of up to $10 for court interpreter services, in addition to other fees or costs allowed or imposed by law, in all criminal and quasi-criminal cases from each person convicted or sentenced to supervision in a case arising from a felony, misdemeanor, business offense, or petty offense complaint or arising from a minor traffic or ordinance violation. Provides that the fee shall be deposited into a separate Court Interpreter Services Fund, of which the chief judge shall be the custodian, to be used to maintain court interpreter services. If this fee is collected, 10% shall be deposited into the Circuit Court Clerk Operation and Administrative Fund. Effective June 1, 2011.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. In a Section concerning estimated taxes, provides that, if a taxpayer is entitled to a refund after the payment of the fourth installment, then he or she may apply the amount of the refund to the first installment due in the next taxable year.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that any municipality that owns or operates a public utility may collect delinquent utility charges that are owed to that public utility as a special assessment if the charges are more than 90-days past due. Provides that a municipality may impose a special assessment for the purpose of collecting costs associated with the removal of nuisance greenery. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides a property tax exemption for parking areas owned by any religious institution that meets the qualifications for exemption if the parking area is leased or rented to a municipality for free public parking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that if laundry services are provided by an outside firm or another hospital to a hospital licensed pursuant to the Hospital Licensing Act, then the Department of Public Health shall allow clean and soiled linens to be transported in separate carts within the same vehicle. Provides that for the purpose of the provision concerning hospital laundry services, "cart" means an enclosed, fluid-resistant container that maintains a barrier of separation between clean and soiled linens and is able to be secured within a transporting vehicle so as not to shift during transport.