Rep. Robert W. Pritchard

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2005, the tax with respect to textbooks required for use at State universities and public community colleges or certain other institutions of higher learning is imposed under these Acts at the rate of 1.25% (eliminating the State's portion of the tax). Authorizes the Department of Revenue to adopt rules. Amends the State Finance Act to adjust the distribution with respect to this tax. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction in an amount equal to 50% of the tolls paid during the taxable year by the taxpayer under the Toll Highway Act for the operation of a commercial vehicle that has 2 or more axles. Exempts the deduction from the Act's sunset provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Requires that the parties to an annexation agreement in any county own or control all property that would make the property that is the subject of the agreement contiguous to the annexing municipality in order for the annexed property to be subject to the ordinances, control, and jurisdiction of the municipality (now, this requirement applies only to certain counties). 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.

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority must obtain the approval of the General Assembly for future toll increases and for any toll increases effective within the 12 months preceding the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the General Assembly's rejection or reduction of any toll increase is binding upon the Authority. Effective immediately.

Requests replacement of James Shields statue with Ronald Reagan's statue in the Natl Statuary Hall Collection.

Makes appropriations and reappropriations to Northern Illinois University for various purposes, including for ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides for tax exemptions for: (i) certain users of ostomy supplies who reside in licensed long-term care facilities and (ii) not-for-profit sellers of ostomy supplies. Provides that the rate of tax on ostomy supplies is 1% (instead of 6.25%).

Creates the College Campus Credit Card Marketing Act. Provides that each college in the State shall prohibit the advertising, marketing, or merchandising of credit cards on college campuses to students, except as provided in newspapers, magazines, or similar publications; within any banking institution located on a college campus; or pursuant to an official college credit card marketing policy.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. In a Section concerning the commercial distribution fee, provides that, beginning January 1, 2007 and through December 31, 2012, for each registration year, the owner of a vehicle for which biodiesel has been purchased during the previous registration year is entitled to a reduction of the fee for that vehicle. Sets forth the amount of the reduction based upon the amount of biodiesel purchased. Makes technical changes. Effective immediately.