Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and the Illinois Income Tax Act. Authorizes the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish systems and programs to encourage employers to match employee contributions to prepaid programs of college savings by making donations to the Commission for prepaid programs of college savings and its programs of grants and loans to make higher education affordable for all residents of the State and to receive, hold, and disburse all such funds made available through those programs for the purposes for which they are authorized by rule or by law. Creates an income tax credit for employers who, during the taxable year, make a matching donation on behalf of an employee. Provides that the credit is 25% of the matching donation, but not to exceed $500 per employee. Provides that the credit may be carried forward for 3 taxable years. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act. Authorizes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to award, in excess of the annual aggregate grant total, up to $4,000,000 to a grant applicant who installs advanced technologies for water usage, carbon footprint reduction, and other blending improvements designed to optimize processes at the applicants renewable fuels facility. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of State Police Law and the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the Illinois Police Training Act, and the Missing Persons Identification Act. With respect to the State Police's missing endangered senior alert system: (i) refers to the alerts as "Silver" Alerts; (ii) requires that the Department coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in the public dissemination of the alerts and the promotion of the system; and (iii) requires that local law enforcement agencies provide for prompt use of Silver Alerts and public dissemination of photographs of missing endangered seniors. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Carnival and Amusement Rides Safety Act. Makes various changes regarding: applying for a permit to operate an amusement ride or amusement attraction at a carnival or fair; penalties for violation of the Act; notices and fact-finding conferences; procedures relating to criminal history records checks and checks of the National Sex Offender Public Registry; exemption of an amusement ride or amusement attraction that is subject to inspection by a political division of the State from the provisions of the Act; and exemption of carnival workers who are foreign nationals and have been granted visas by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in conjunction with the United States Department of Labor's H-2B or J-1 programs and are lawfully admitted into the United States from the background check requirement. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act and the State Finance Act. Authorizes the Authority and the State Fire Marshal jointly to administer a revolving loan program for the construction, rehabilitation, remodeling, and expansion of fire stations and the acquisition of land for the construction or expansion of fire stations by fire departments (including township fire departments) and fire protection districts. Specifies terms of loans. Creates the necessary special fund in the State treasury. Effective July 1, 2009.
Amends the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Increases the income limitation under the Act to $55,000 (instead of $50,000) beginning in 2009. Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the maximum income limitation under the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption is the income limitation set forth in the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Act applies to certain projects located outside of the State, if the project involves property or facilities that are owned, operated, leased, or managed by an entity located within the State. Sets forth criteria for approving out-of-State projects. Provides that the Authority shall not provide financing for any project, or portion of a project, located outside of the United States. Provides that the Authority shall not provide financing that constitutes an indebtedness of the State for any project, or portion of a project, located outside of the State. Provides that the Illinois Finance Authority may approve an application to finance or refinance a project located outside of the State only if the Authority has the ability to issue at least another $1,000,000,000 of bonds after giving effect to the financing or refinancing or the out-of-state project. Proposes that the Authority shall not provide financing that uses State volume cap under Section 146 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for a project located outside of the State. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public University Energy Conservation Act. Provides that "energy conservation measure" includes construction of a new building or facility that is designed to reduce energy consumption or operating costs.
Urges the Illinois Department of Agriculture, with the assistance of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, to create an informational program to help the general public obtain timely information regarding agricultural pesticides.
Mandates that the State must appoint an Emergency Medical Services Director immediately.