Amends the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act. Provides that a school district may verify, no more than every other month, a student's verification of eligibility for the school breakfast program, the school lunch program, the free breakfast program, the free lunch program, or the summer food service program. Effective immediately.
Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that a public body or entity covered by the Act that contracts for work with a contractor or subcontractor without a public bid or project specification shall provide the contractor or subcontractor with a prevailing wage notice on the project on the purchase order or on a separate document. Provides that, if the Department of Labor determines that a violation of the Act has occurred, the Department shall determine whether a proper notice was given to the contractor, and, if a notice was not given, shall order the public body to pay back wages, interest, penalties, or fines owed by the contractor to its employees. Provides that a contractor is not in violation if a notice is not given to the contractor. Provides that the failure to provide a notice does not diminish the obligation of a contractor to pay the prevailing wage. Provides that a contractor who has awarded work to a subcontractor without a contract or a contract specification may provide a lower tiered subcontractor with a written prevailing wage notice. Provides that a contractor with a business location where workers regularly visit may, instead of posting a prevailing wage notice on a job site, post at that business or give a written notice to those workers. Provides that information made available under a Freedom of Information Act request regarding certified payrolls shall be used only to enforce the Act. Prohibits misuse of the information. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties. Provides for handling of complaints. Makes other changes.
Amends the Substance Abuse Prevention on Public Works Projects Act. Requires the substance abuse testing program of an employer to which the Act applies to include a 5 panel (instead of 9 panel) urine drug test. Provides that the Act does not apply to the extent there is a collective bargaining agreement in effect dealing with the subject matter of the Act.
Amends the Illinois Fertilizer Act of 1961. Provides that beginning January 1, 2008, all anhydrous ammonia being stored in this State for agricultural use must contain calcium nitrate in an amount sufficient to inhibit the ability of the anhydrous ammonia to be used in the production of methamphetamine. Provides that the Department of Agriculture must adopt rules for the administration and enforcement of the Section. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the amount of the earned income tax credit from 5% of the federal credit to: (i) 7.5% of the federal tax credit for taxable years ending in calendar year 2007; and (ii) 10% of the federal tax credit for taxable years ending in calendar year 2008 or thereafter. Effective immediately.
Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Under specified circumstances, allows for a maximum of 5 additional charter schools exclusively for truants or dropouts in Chicago if the limit on the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time in the rest of the State has not been reached. Provides that if any of the additional charter schools are not used exclusively for truants or dropouts, then the State Board of Education shall withhold and the charter school shall forfeit all State funding designated for that school.
Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish and administer an Autism Scholarship Program. Provides that in the 2007-2008 school year and the 2008-2009 school year, upon receipt of an application from the parent or guardian of an eligible autistic child, the State Board shall award a scholarship to the child, which may be used only to pay tuition for the child to attend a special education program that implements the child's individualized education program and that is operated by (i) a school district other than the school district that the child has been attending or in which the child resides, (ii) another public entity, or (iii) a private provider approved by the State Board. Provides that the amount of the scholarship shall be $15,000 or the actual tuition charged by the special education program, whichever is less. Limits the number of scholarships that may be awarded through the Program in a school year to 200. Provides that the State Board shall annually decrease a school district's general State aid payment by an amount equal to the aggregate amount of scholarships awarded through the Program to pupils included in the school district's attendance calculation, which is the district where the student resides. Makes related changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county with a population of less than 1,000,000 may levy an annual tax for farmland preservation easement purposes. Provides that the tax may not exceed 0.05% of the equalized assessed value of taxable property in the county. Provides that the tax must be approved by referendum. Provides that the tax may be discontinued by referendum.
Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides for immunity from liability for child care facility licensees that fail to hire or retain an applicant or employee who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit a certain enumerated offense, except in certain cases of suspension. Provides that no child care facility licensee shall be chargeable for any benefit charges that result from the payment of unemployment benefits to any claimant whose employment separation occurred because the claimant's criminal background included a certain enumerated offense or as a result of the claimant violating a policy that the employer was required to maintain pursuant to the Drug Free Workplace Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Creates the pay as you save program for renewable energy products. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to implement a pilot project to allow residential customers to purchase a renewable energy products system with no up-front payments and by paying the cost of the system over time on the customer's electricity bill, provided that the estimated life cycle electricity savings from the renewable energy products system exceeds the cost of the system. Provides that the pilot project shall provide for disconnection of utility service for non-payment of renewable energy products system pay as you save payments and allow for assignment of system repayment costs attached to the meter location. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to determine the time frame of the pilot program and gather and analyze information to evaluate the pilot program. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to require electric utilities to create a fund to provide grant money to enable residential electric utility customers to purchase a renewable energy products system. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall ensure that all reasonable costs incurred by electric utilities to start up and implement the pay as you save model system are recovered, including necessary billing system adjustments and any costs for pay as you save model system efficiency measures that are not recovered via participating residential customers' pay as you save model system bill payments or otherwise. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall adopt all rules necessary for administration of the pilot project. Effective immediately.
