Creates the "Task Force on Re-enrolling Students Who Dropped Out Of School" in order to examine and develop ways to address the growing issue of students who left school before earning a high school diploma.
Mourns the death of John Lee "Johnny" Armistead.
Amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Directs the Fund to conduct a divided medicare coverage referendum, open to teachers continuously employed by the same employer since March 31, 1986. Allows eligible teachers to irrevocably elect to participate in the federal medicare program. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Ticket Scalping Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning service charges.
Creates the Task Force on Dropouts to examine policies, programs, and other issues related to developing a variety of successful approaches using best program practices to re-enroll, teach, and graduate high school dropouts.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Eliminates the provision that prohibits an inmate who is assigned to a mental health unit from receiving an additional good conduct credit for being engaged full-time in substance abuse programs, correctional industry assignments, or educational programs provided by the Department of Corrections. Effective immediately.
Creates the Home Care Consumer and Worker Protection Act. If an agency places a home care worker with a consumer to provide home care services, requires the agency to give the worker and the consumer a notice setting forth the rights and responsibilities of each of them as well as appropriate phone numbers and addresses of the Department on Aging. Provides that the Act does not apply to nursing homes, home health agencies, and certain other agencies. Provides that an agency subject to the Act must comply with the Health Care Worker Background Check Act and must ensure that every home care worker placed by the agency for hire by a consumer has the appropriate credentials and is appropriately licensed or certified as required by law. Authorizes the Department on Aging to investigate complaints of violations of the Act, issue cease-and-desist orders, and seek injunctive relief. Provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 per day for each day that a violation continues. Effective January 1, 2006.
Amends the Film Production Services Tax Credit Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning applications for certification.
Creates the Rental Housing Support Program Act. Provides for grants from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to local administering agencies to provide subsidies for landlords in order to allow them to charge rent that is affordable for low-income tenants. Also provides for grants from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to developers of affordable rental housing. Sets forth criteria for the awarding of grants. Requires the Authority to establish an operating reserve for the program. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Rental Housing Support Program Fund, a special fund in the State treasury. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the county recorder shall collect a $10 surcharge for the recordation of any real estate-related document, one dollar of which shall be deposited into the county's general revenue fund and $9 of which shall be deposited into the Rental Housing Support Program Fund. Sets forth the conditions upon which and purposes for which expenditures may be made from the Accounts. Effective July 1, 2005.
Creates the Commission to Study the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Past and Present Effects on African-Americans.
