Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any person who violates a provision regarding dealers, transporters, wreckers, and rebuilders, except a person who violates a provision for which a different criminal penalty is indicated, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor (rather than providing that the person is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor except as otherwise indicated). In a provision concerning axle load and gross vehicle weight limitations, provides that, if a roll-back carrier is registered and being used as a tow truck, the license plate or plates issued for the roll-back carrier/tow truck must cover the weight of any load carried on the bed of the roll-back carrier (as well as covering the operating empty weight of the roll-back carrier).
Sponsored bills
Creates the High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Law and amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the Lieutenant Governor, with the advice of the Broadband Deployment Council, shall enlist a nonprofit corporation to implement a comprehensive, statewide high speed Internet deployment strategy and adoption initiative. Specifies the duties of the nonprofit organization. Provides that nothing in the High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Law shall be construed as giving the Lieutenant Governor, the Broadband Deployment Council, the nonprofit organization, or other entities any additional authority, regulatory or otherwise, over providers of telecommunications, broadband, and information technology. Creates the High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, to be used, subject to appropriation, by the Lieutenant Governor for purposes of providing grants to the nonprofit organization enlisted under the Law. Provides that on the effective date of the Law, all moneys in the Digital Divide Elimination Infrastructure Fund which have not already been distributed or ordered distributed by the Illinois Commerce Commission shall be transferred to the High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Fund. Contains other provisions concerning local governmental entities who undertake local broadband projects. Amends the Universal Telephone Service Protection Law of 1985 in the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a telecommunications carrier that is not subject to regulation under an alternative regulation plan pursuant to specified provisions may reduce the rate or charge for a noncompetitive service, service element, feature, or functionality offered to customers on a separate, stand-alone basis or as part of a bundled service offering by filing with the Commission a tariff that shows the reduced rate or charge and all applicable terms and conditions of the noncompetitive service, service element, feature, or functionality or bundled offering. Provides that provisions concerning basic local exchange service quality and the consumer complaint resolution process do not apply to telephone cooperatives. Changes the repeal date of the Universal Telephone Service Protection Law of 1985 from July 1, 2007 to July 1, 2009.
Urges the Governor to present a capital budget that includes $100,000,000, on an annual basis, for the Illinois Special Places Acquisition, Conservation and Enhancement (iSPACE) Program, which includes the following: (i) a new statewide land acquisition program to protect the State's most precious natural resources and provide recreational opportunities, including matching grants to local governments; (ii) implementation of the Partners for Conservation Program (formerly Conservation 2000) through land acquisition and management grants; and (iii) implementation of the Hunting Heritage Protection Act by increasing the amount of land acreage available for hunting opportunities in Illinois.
Proclaims Aledo as the "Rhubarb Capital of Illinois".
Congratulates Roy Martin on his retirement from the Alcoa plant in Riverdale, Iowa.
Creates the State Services Assurance Act. Establishes required staffing ratios for specified State agencies that provide essential services. Requires the Departments of Children and Family Services and Veterans' Affairs to convene caseload and workload standards task forces, and the Department of Juvenile Justice to convene a staffing ratio standards task force, to develop standards by January 1, 2007. Requires the Legislative Audit Commission, in consultation with the Auditor General, to schedule audits, to be completed by January 1, 2007, of each executive branch agency under the Governor's authority to determine its staffing level trends. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Amends the State Finance Act. Excludes moneys received by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Illinois Credit Union Act from those moneys required to be deposited into the Financial Institution Fund. Makes certain provisions concerning transfers to the General Revenue Fund inapplicable to (i) any fund established under the Illinois Credit Union Act, the Illinois Banking Act, the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, or the Savings Bank Act and (ii) the Professions Indirect Cost Fund. Limits transfers and expenditures from those funds to specified purposes. Prohibits the allocation or transfer of additional amounts generated by certain fee increases with respect to or from the Credit Union Fund. Amends the Illinois Banking Act, the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, and the Savings Bank Act. With respect to the moneys in each of the Bank and Trust Company Fund, the Savings and Residential Finance Regulatory Fund, and the Credit Union Fund, (i) exempts those moneys from assignment or transfer except for unappropriated administrative expenses and (ii) provides that the moneys remain the property of and must be held in trust for the financial institutions from which they were collected. For FY08, requires the Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate (now, the Director of the Division of Banks and Real Estate) to adopt rules to adjust regulatory fee rates in the specified manner. Amends the Illinois Credit Union Act. Provides that the regulatory fee paid by a credit union to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall be the lesser of (i) the rate pursuant to the regulatory fee schedule or (ii) a rate established in a manner proportionately consistent with the rates in the regulatory fee schedule and that would fund the actual administrative and operational expenses of the Credit Union Section. Increases rates in the regulatory fee schedule for credit unions with total assets over $5,000,000. Requires the Director of Financial and Professional Regulation to adjust the fee schedule for the next fiscal year. Provides that the fee schedule may be increased by no more than 5% annually if necessary to defray the actual (now, estimated) administrative and operational expenses of the Credit Union Section (now, the Department). Prohibits any increase in the fee schedule if the amount remaining in the Credit Union Fund at the end of the fiscal year is equal to or greater than 25% of the actual administrative and operational expenses for the preceding fiscal year. Requires the Director to base the regulatory fee for the next fiscal year on the credit union's total assets as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year. Beginning on July 1, 2005, requires a credit union to pay the regulatory fee in quarterly installments due and payable on the due date for the call report for the preceding quarter (now, a credit union is required to pay the regulatory fee in full no later than March 1 of each calendar year). Provides for a regulatory fee cap of $125,000 (now, $187,500). Effective immediately.
With respect to the Illinois High School Association, resolves that an enrollment multiplier for non-boundaried schools with enrollments of 450 students and above not be implemented prior to July 1, 2007.
Creates the Nurse Licensure Compact Act. Allows for reciprocity of licensure of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses among the states. Provides for administration of the Compact by the Nursing Act Coordinator. Provides that the licensing board shall participate in a Compact Evaluation Initiative designed to evaluate the effectiveness and operability of the Compact. Provides that the Compact does not relieve employers from complying with statutorily imposed obligations. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Amends the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act to make changes relating to the purposes of the Compact.