Rep. La Shawn Ford

Amends the Communicable Disease Prevention Act. Deletes a Section requiring the Illinois Department of Public Health or a local public health department to give notice to a principal of the school in which a child is enrolled when a school aged child has acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC) or has been shown to have been exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or any other identified causative agent of AIDS. Effective immediately.

Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board shall set aside 1/2 of 1 percent of the amount authorized and appropriated over $1,000,000 (now, no monetary limit) for public building projects (now, for construction or reconstruction of public buildings) for purchase of works of art. Provides that the Executive Director of the Capital Development Board shall be a member of the Fine Arts Review Committee. Abolishes the Public Arts Advisory Council.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that the Director of Central Management Services and the Department of Employment Security shall establish a 5-year pilot program under which the Director of Central Management Services and the Department of Employment Security shall jointly administer competitive examinations to test the relative fitness of applicants for certain positions in the State service. Provides that, under the pilot program, the Director of Central Management Services and the Department of Employment Security shall determine the times and places where the competitive examinations shall be held, provided that the competitive examinations shall be held at each Department of Employment Security office at least twice a month. Provides that a schedule of the times and places where the competitive examinations shall be held shall be posted on the official websites of the Department of Central Management Services and the Department of Employment Security. Effective immediately.

Creates the Artificial Trans Fat Restriction Act. Sets forth definitions and the legislative purpose of the Act. Provides that beginning on January 1, 2013, no food containing artificial trans fat may be served by a food facility or used in the preparation of food within a food facility. Excludes from the prohibition food containing only naturally occurring trans fat; food sold or served in a manufacturer's original sealed package; free food samples made available or served to customers in food facilities, but that are only available for sale in the manufacturer's original sealed package; and food repackaged from the manufacturer's original sealed package. Provides that beginning on January 1, 2013, no food containing artificial trans fat may be made available in a vending machine operated by or within a private school or public school district. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules to administer and enforce the Act.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, from December 19 through December 23, 2011, the tax imposed on items purchased from a small business shall be at the rate of 1.25% (instead of 6.25%). Defines "small business". Makes changes concerning the distribution of moneys collected from the reduced tax on items purchased from a small business. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the chief procurement officers are jointly responsible for publishing the Illinois Procurement Bulletin (now, each chief procurement officer is responsible for publishing his or her volume of the Illinois Procurement Bulletin). Provides that the electronic Illinois Procurement Bulletin shall include a single registration system and a single industry code classification system that is substantially similar to the North American Industry Classification System. Requires the registrant to select the code classification that best describes the service or commodity that the registrant wishes to provide the State. Provides that the Procurement Policy Board shall maintain on its website a portal for persons and businesses to submit the certifications and disclosures required under the Code, as well as any certification provided under the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons With Disabilities Act and the employer report form required by the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that, instead of submitting a certification or disclosure with the bid, contract, or subcontract, a person or business who is registered on the web-based portal maintained by the Procurement Policy Board may maintain a current, accurate certification or disclosure on the web-based portal. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes to provisions regarding the Illinois Procurement Bulletin.

Creates the Prepaid Cellular Telephone Sales Act. Provides that any person selling prepaid cellular telephones to the public must request to see an identification card in order to record the personal information of each person purchasing a prepaid cellular telephone. Provides that the records obtained from each sale shall be maintained for at least one year by the retailer and shall be shared with each appropriate wireless telephone carrier on which the phone may be used. Prohibits any person not complying with provisions requiring record keeping from selling any prepaid cellular telephone. Provides that any person violating any of the provisions of this Act is guilty of a petty offense and on conviction thereof shall for the first offense be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $150 and for each subsequent offense by a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $250.

Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Requires the Department of Revenue, beginning on January 1, 2013 or as soon thereafter as is practical, to offer a special instant "Scratch-Out Crime" scratch-off game. Requires the net revenue from that game to be deposited into the Municipal Police Hiring Assistance Fund for appropriation by the General Assembly solely to the Department for distribution on a pro rata share, based on population, to municipal police departments in the State for the hiring of municipal police officers. Authorizes the Department to adopt rules necessary to implement and administer the game. Defines "net revenue". Amends the State Finance Act to create the Municipal Police Hiring Assistance Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a standard student expulsion policy that applies to each school district in this State. Requires a district's pupil discipline policy to conform to the standard student expulsion policy. Requires a school board to furnish a copy of the district's pupil discipline policy to the parents or guardian of each pupil within 15 days after the beginning of the school year or within 15 days after starting classes for a pupil who transfers into the district during the school year and to require that each school inform its pupils of the contents of its policy (now permissive with respect to school boards other than the Chicago Board of Education).

Creates the Second Chance Task Force to study the feasibility of proposed legislation to give persons who commit crimes that would otherwise result in their imprisonment to be given the opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States or the Illinois National Guard. Provides that the Task Force shall receive the assistance of the Department of Military Affairs and such other persons as it deems appropriate and shall report its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives by December 31, 2012.