Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a 2-year pilot program to assist in the creation and promotion of green career and technical education programs in public secondary schools in this State.
Creates the Crossing of Railroad Right-of-way Act. Applies only to crossings of a railroad right-of-way that is owned by a land management company and not a registered rail carrier. Provides that public utilities that locate their facilities within the railroad right-of-way for a crossing shall pay the land management company a one-time standard crossing fee of $1,500 for each crossing. Provides special circumstances under which the standard crossing fee is not imposed. Provides that, if the parties cannot agree that special circumstances exist, the dispute shall be submitted to non-binding arbitration. Provides procedures for the non-binding arbitration and provides that, if the parties cannot resolve their dispute based on the arbitrator's recommendation within 30 days, either party may, upon the expiration of the 30-day period, give written notice to the other party of the commencement of a binding arbitration proceeding. Effective immediately.
Amends the Gender-Neutral Statutes Commission Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Commission's duties.
Amends the Department of Public Aid Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act. Creates the Hunger Relief Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, from appropriations to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services from the Fund, the Department shall make grants to members of the Illinois Food Bank Association for the purpose of making capital improvements, purchasing food, or acquiring other assets. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a tax checkoff for the Hunger Relief Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Fund. Effective immediately.
Amends the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning posting of certain notices.
Amends the State Employee Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In provisions concerning final average compensation, provides that for a member on leave of absence without pay who purchases service credit for that period of leave, earnings are assumed to be equal to the rate of compensation in effect immediately prior to the leave. Provides that, if no contributions are required to establish service credit for the period of leave, the member may elect to establish earnings credit for the leave period within 48 months after returning to work by making the employee and employer contributions, plus interest at the actuarially assumed rate. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. With respect to the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, provides that not less than 11% (instead of exactly 11%) of the grant shall be used to fund programs for children ages 0-3. Provides that this percentage shall increase to at least 20% by Fiscal Year 2015, except that if, in a given fiscal year, the amount appropriated for the Early Childhood Education Block Grant is insufficient to increase the percentage of the grant to fund programs for children ages 0-3 without reducing the amount of the grant for existing providers of preschool education programs, then the percentage of the grant to fund programs for children ages 0-3 may be held steady instead of increased. Effective July 1, 2009.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Redefines the term "compost" to mean compostable material that has, by composting, decomposed to the degree that it will not, when subjected to optimal thermal conditions and optimal levels of oxygen, moisture, and nutrients, reheat significantly due to the action of microorganisms, and that is also suitable (i) for use as a soil conditioner, (ii) for use as a cover material for a municipal solid waste landfill, or (iii) for another use approved by the Agency (now, the humus-like product of the process of composting waste, which may be used as a soil conditioner). Redefines the term "composting" to mean the decomposition of compostable material into compost by a biological process that produces carbon dioxide and water as primary by-products (now, the biological treatment process by which microorganisms decompose the organic fraction of waste, producing compost). Excepts food scrap from the definition of the term "garbage". Exempts certain types of facilities, sites, portions of facilities, and portions of sites from regulation as pollution control facilities. Defines "compostable material" and "food scrap". Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Requires each school superintendent to create a program to ensure that students attending the schools that he or she manages cannot access those schools' grounds for at least 12 hours after those grounds are treated with a lawn care product. Requires each district superintendent to appoint a Lawn Care Coordinator whose duty it shall be (i) to implement that program, (ii) to supervise the provision of notice under subdivision (f)(2) of Section 3 of the Lawn Care Products Application and Notice Act, and (3) if the district adopts a pesticide-free turf care program, to supervise that program. Amends the Lawn Care Products Application and Notice Act. Requires applicators for hire to provide additional types of information to customers. Requires the owners or operators of day care centers to provide parents with one of two types of notice before applying pesticide or having pesticide applied to day center grounds (now, only school districts must provide that notice). Requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to inform school boards and the owners and operators of day care centers about these requirements. Requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to report violations to the Department of Agriculture for enforcement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to implement the Colorectal Cancer Screening and Treatment Pilot Program in areas of the State that have the highest incidences of mortality related to colon cancer. Provides that the Program sites must be located in and operated through Federally Qualified Health Centers. Provides that the Program shall provide funding for colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests and shall provide colorectal cancer screening and treatment services for specified groups. Provides that these provisions are repealed 3 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
