Amends the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act and the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act. Authorizes a person who is at least 18 years of age to purchase up to 20 sterile hypodermic syringes or needles at a pharmacy without a prescription. Authorizes a pharmacist to sell up to 20 sterile hypodermic syringes or needles to a person who is at least 18 years of age. Provides that the Illinois Department of Public Health must develop educational materials regarding safer injection, HIV prevention, syringe disposal, and drug treatment and make copies of those materials available to pharmacists. Provides that pharmacists must make those educational materials available to persons who purchase syringes. Repeals the Section in the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act requiring a person who sells a syringe, needle, or instrument to keep a record of the sale. Effective immediately.
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Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that when the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense and the accused was a member of the clergy, a prosecution for criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse may be commenced at any time. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code to require the State Board of Education to provide after-school program grants to qualifying school districts for the purpose of providing academic assistance at the end of the regular day of instruction or on non-school days for students and their families at school sites. Provides that a school district qualifies and may apply for a grant if the district contains one or more schools in which at least two-fifths of the students at the school fail to meet State academic standards. Establishes requirements for the grants. Effective immediately.
Creates the Illinois Early Learning Council Act. Establishes the Illinois Early Learning Council to coordinate existing State programs and services for children from birth to 5 years of age in order to better meet the early learning needs of children and their families. Provides for the appointment of members to the Council who represent both public and private organizations and who shall serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis.
Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows certain retired teachers to remain in retirement status and continue to receive their retirement annuities while engaging in employment in a designated subject shortage area. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 to provide that health insurance benefits under the State and TRIP plans are suspended while the annuitant is covered as an active teacher. Amends the School Code to require regional superintendents of schools to certify school district compliance with certain requirements of the program. Effective immediately.
Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Provides that terminals must be designed and programmed so that the entry of a consumer's personal identification in reverse order causes an alarm to be sent to the local law enforcement agency.
Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois; also amends the Illinois Police Training Act, the State Mandates Act, and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Department of State Police to provide training to State Police officers concerning sensitivity toward racial and ethnic differences. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to provide for similar training for probationary police officers. Provides for a 4-year traffic stop statistical study based on information that must be recorded on the face of a uniform traffic citation, warning citation, or uniform stop card by State and local law enforcement officers. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. In a Section concerning the loan of textbooks to students free of charge, provides that "textbook" includes science curriculum materials in a kit format that includes pre-packaged consumable materials if certain requirements are met. Effective immediately.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning civil penalties.
Amends the School Code. Repeals provisions concerning the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program. Provides instead that the State Board of Education shall make reading improvement grants to school districts in order to improve the reading and study skills of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade (from a separate appropriation made for these purposes). Provides that the State Board may use up to 2% of the appropriation for the purpose of providing teacher training and retraining. Provides that of the remaining funds (i) up to the first $5,000,000 in new funds in the 2003-2004 school year shall be distributed to districts serving grades 7 through 12 and (ii) the remainder of the appropriation shall be distributed to districts serving kindergarten through grade 6. Includes provisions concerning application requirements, reporting assessment results, eligibility in the third or subsequent years, requirements for the use of grants, and reporting results to the General Assembly. Effective July 1, 2003.