Rep. Robert W. Pritchard

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish a pilot program in 2013 to set aside $50,000,000 in Monetary Award Program grant funds for the making of a second round of Monetary Award Program grants. Of the funds set aside, requires 75% to be awarded to public community college students and 25% to be awarded to independent college students attending other institutions. Provides that if the Commission determines that the pilot program is successful, then it shall recommend to the General Assembly that the program continue.

Amends the Election Code. Requires that a State central committee of a political party under Alternative A must be composed of 2 members from each congressional district (one male and one female) elected by the primary voters (now, one member from each district elected by the primary voters or by ward, township, and precinct committeemen). Applies to State central committees elected at or after the 2014 general primary. Provides that, if all of a party's candidates for State central committeemen or State central committeewomen from a congressional district are of the same sex, then the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected a State central committeeman or State central committeewoman from the district, and a vacancy shall be declared to exist in the office of the second member of the State central committee from the district. Provides that candidates for election or to fill a vacancy as State central committeeman or committeewoman under Alternative A, a person must have voted in 3 of the 4 most recent primaries of the political party operating under Alternative A. Makes the State central committeeman and committeewoman in a congressional district the members and co-chairpersons of that party's congressional committee. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Removes the maximum fee amount that a school district may charge to a student who participates in a driver education course.

Creates the Wind Energy Facilities Deconstruction Act. Requires the owner of a wind energy generation facility to deposit, with the Department of Agriculture, an irrevocable letter of credit and to maintain that letter until the wind energy generation facility has been subjected to deconstruction. Requires each letter of credit to list the Director of Agriculture as the beneficiary. Provides that if a claimant is able to establish that an abandonment has occurred, but that a deconstruction has not occurred within a specified period of time, then the Department shall request payment from the issuer of the letter of credit, deposit the payment in the Wind Energy Deconstruction Fund Trust Account, enter into a deconstruction agreement, and spend moneys in the Account to have the deconstruction performed. Provides that a claimant desiring to make a claim on the Fund shall file with the Department a complaint containing certain elements. Requires the Department to levy an annual fee on commercial wind energy owners that are conducting wind energy generation activities in the State. Requires those fees to be deposited into the Commercial Wind Energy Operations Fund, for use by the Department to cover certain administrative expenses. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Commercial Wind Energy Operations Fund, as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective July 1, 2011.

Amends the Northern Illinois University Law. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning membership on the Board of Trustees.

Amends the Driver Education Act of the School Code. Provides that instead of a school district providing the practice driving part of a driver education course, the district may enter into a memorandum of understanding with a private driver education provider stating the provider's ability and willingness to offer the practice driving part of the driver education course at a cost to the student equal to or less than the cost the district would incur in offering the instruction. Requires the district to submit to the State Board of Education and the State Board of Education to approve the memorandum of understanding before the district is relieved of its duty to provide behind-the-wheel instruction.

Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides that for any capital construction project approved for a public university, the university shall have the option of employing the services of the Capital Development Board or utilizing its own available internal services, including without limitation architectural, contractual, procurement, engineering, project oversight, and other related services. Provides that, prior to utilizing its own internal services, the university shall demonstrate its ability to manage the project, pursuant to State laws and rules, through an application and approval process developed by the Board, in cooperation with university personnel, and adopted by Board rule. Effective immediately.

Makes appropriations to the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University for various purposes, including for ordinary and contingent expenses, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011. Effective July 1, 2011.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas or electric utility may recover through an automatic adjustment clause tariff the costs associated with an investment in qualifying infrastructure facilities and such costs may be amortized over a 4-year period at the election of the utility, subject to certain limitations. Provides that the automatic adjustment clause tariff may be established outside the context of a general rate filing. Provides that the Commission shall review and, by order, approve or approve as modified the proposed tariff within 90 days after the date on which it was filed. Provides that the Commission shall not consider the availability or existence of an automatic adjustment clause tariff or any amounts of investments or revenue recovered by such tariff in its determination of a utility's rate of return on rate base. Defines "costs associated with an investment in qualifying infrastructure facilities", "Director", "qualifying infrastructure facilities", "qualifying projects", and "contributions in aid of construction". Makes other changes. Includes a severability clause. Effective immediately.

Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Fire Marshal Act. Provides that each director of a department that issues an occupational or professional license and the State Fire Marshal are authorized to issue an expedited temporary occupational or professional license to a service member and the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States. Provides that the temporary occupational or professional license shall be valid for 6 months after the date of issuance. Sets forth application requirements. Amends the School Code. Excludes service members and spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States from the additional requirement that after January 1, 1988, an applicant for a corresponding teaching certificate in this State also shall be required to pass certain examinations.