Rep. Dave Winters

Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a provision concerning ballot forfeiture.

Amends the Motor Fuel Tax Law. Provides that road districts located in Cook County qualify for an allocation of motor fuel tax funds if the road district levied certain taxes for road and bridge purposes in an amount that will require the extension of the tax against the taxable property in the road district at a rate of not less than either .08% of the value thereof or an amount equal to or greater than $12,000 per mile of road under the jurisdiction of the road district, whichever is less (instead of "in an amount that will require the extension of the tax against the taxable property in the road district at a rate of not less than .08% of the value thereof").

Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a provision concerning campaign finance disclosure reports.

Amends the Counties Code. Amends the Special County Occupation Tax For Public Safety or Transportation Law in the Counties Code. Provides that, if a county imposes a tax under the Law, then it may, by ordinance, provide that the tax does not apply with respect to the sale or use of motor fuel or of specific types of motor fuel. Provides that, if the county board provides that the tax does not apply with respect to the sale or use of motor fuel or specific types of motor fuel, then a referendum is not required to reimpose the tax with respect to that motor fuel. Effective immediately.

Creates the Local Option Property Tax Reduction Act and amends the School Code, the Property Tax Code, and the State Finance Act. Authorizes school districts by referendum to impose an income tax on individuals resident of the district at an annual rate not exceeding 2%. Requires the income tax revenues disbursed to a district each year to be used to abate the extension in that year of real property taxes levied by the district. Provides that for purposes of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law the "aggregate extension base" shall not be reduced by any abatement pursuant to the Local Option Property Tax Reduction Act. Provides for a referendum repeal of the tax or a referendum change in the rate at which the tax is imposed or the percentage of the tax to be used for abatement. Provides for the manner of levying, collecting, and disbursing the tax and for the manner in which the tax revenues are used. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $1,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for the I-Fly program. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Park District Aquarium and Museum Act. Provides that a resolution to levy and collect a tax for the maintenance of aquariums and museums in excess of 0.03 percent but not to exceed 0.15 percent (now, 0.07 percent) of the value of taxable property in the district must be published. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act. Provides that a recipient of Program grants must be constructing, modifying, altering, or retrofitting an (i) ethanol plant (now, just plant) that has annual production capacity of no less than 30,000,000 gallons of renewable fuel per year or a (ii) biodiesel plant. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and administer grant programs including: the Illinois Renewable Fuels Majority Blended Ethanol Program, the Illinois Corn Grain to Fuel Research Consortium Assistance Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Corn-to-Hydrogen Fuel Cell Research Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Biodiesel Infrastructure Grant Program, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Ethanol Development Intergovernmental Assistance Program. Sets forth the purposes and conditions for these grant programs. Provides that subject to appropriation (now, subject to appropriation from the Build Illinois Bond Fund), the Director is authorized to award Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund grants. Sets forth that the annual aggregate amount for these grants shall not exceed $25,000,000 in Fiscal year 2007 and 2008 and $15,000,000 thereafter (now, may not exceed $15,000,000). Specifies how these grant funds shall be allocated. Sets forth certain limitations on spending on the various Program grants including for research conducted at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Facility at SIU-Edwardsville not to exceed $1,000,000 annually, and a one-time grant in FY 2007 not to exceed $3,000,000 for construction, remodeling, and expansion of the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Facility at SIU-Edwardsville. Provides that normal operating and execution of renewable fuels programs in existence on January 1, 2006 within the Department from the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund shall not exceed $5,000,000 annually. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury to fund these grant programs. Sets forth certain conditions for the operation of this Fund. Provides for certain annual payments from the General Revenue Fund to the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, to provide that on or after July 1, 2006 and on or before June 30, 2016, those tax rates apply to 90% of the proceeds of sales made on gasohol (now, apply to 80% of the proceeds of sales made on gasohol). Amends the Motor Fuel and Petroleum Standards Act to provide that beginning January 1, 2008 a minimum of 10% of all motor fuel sold or offered for sale in Illinois must be denatured ethanol and that beginning January 1, 2012 a minimum of 15% of all motor fuel sold or offered for sale in Illinois must be denatured ethanol. Effective July 1, 2006.

Urges U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for the Historic Barn Preservation Act.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates a program that, subject to appropriation, provides rebates to consumers for expenditures made for the purchase and installation of a renewable energy system or appliance used in connection with a dwelling unit or small business. Provides that the rebate amount shall not exceed the lesser of 25% of the expenditures made for the purchase and installation of the renewable energy system or appliance or $2,000. Defines a "renewable energy system or appliance". Authorizes the Department to adopt rules for the administration of this rebate program.