Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia

Amends the Technology Development Act. Authorizes the State Treasurer to segregate up to 2% of the Treasurer's investment portfolio in the Technology Development Account IIa. Authorizes investments from the account to provide venture capital to help attract, assist, and retain quality technology businesses in Illinois. Contains provisions concerning soliciting proposals from entities to manage and be the General Partner of Technology Development Account IIb, consisting of investments from the private sector that must invest, at the direction of the Treasurer, in tandem with TDA IIa. Sets restrictions and conditions. Effective immediately.

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 Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.

Creates the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act. Requires the State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Board of Higher Education to jointly establish and maintain a longitudinal data system by entering into one or more agreements that link early learning, elementary, and secondary school student unit records with institution of higher learning student unit records. Subject to appropriation, requires the State Board of Education to establish a data warehouse that integrates data from multiple student unit record systems and supports all of the uses and functions of the longitudinal data system. Provides that the data warehouse must be developed in cooperation with the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education and must have the ability to integrate longitudinal data from early learning through the postsecondary level. Sets forth provisions concerning the collection and maintenance of data, data sharing, privacy protection laws, and the performance of an evaluation and submission of a report. Makes changes to the Charter Schools Law of the School Code concerning not being exempt from the Act and the Illinois School Student Records Act concerning the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma. Requires the State Board of Education to implement and administer the IHOPE Program. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall award grants to educational service regions and the Chicago school district from appropriated funds to assist in establishing instructional programs and other services designed to re-enroll high school dropouts. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for regional offices of education and the Chicago school district to develop partnerships with school districts, public community colleges, and community groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school dropouts in their regions or districts. Sets forth requirements for programs funded through the IHOPE Program. Provides for an IHOPE Plan, sub-grants, how funding is distributed, State aid, categories of programming, the evaluation of programs, and rules. Effective July 1, 2009.

Amends the School Code. Creates the Innovation, Intervention, and Restructuring Task Force for the purpose of developing strategies to allow for the innovation, intervention, and restructuring of schools, including those that need comprehensive or focused intervention. Requires the task force to submit its strategies for allowing intervention and innovation, in the form of recommendations, in a comprehensive report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the State Superintendent of Education not later than December 31, 2009. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Creates the Illinois Jobs for Veterans Task Force within the Governor's Office. Establishes the Illinois Jobs for Veterans Task Force to review and prepare a report on the training received by active military service members to determine if the training applies towards or satisfies any State professional licensure requirements. Sets forth the membership of the Task Force. Provides for the filling of vacancies. Provides that these provisions are repealed on January 1, 2011. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act concerning the credit for wages paid to qualified veterans. Extends the credit to also apply to wages paid to qualified veterans who did not serve on active duty in Southwest Asia. Increases the amount of the credit to (i) 10% (but in no event to exceed $1,200) of the gross wages paid to qualified veterans who served on active duty in Southwest Asia and (ii) 7.5% (but in no event to exceed $800) of the gross wages paid to all other qualified veterans.

Amends the School Code, various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois, and the Public Community College Act. Provides that if a public school, university, or community college holds any type of event at the institution on November 11, Veterans' Day, the governing board of the institution shall require a moment of silence at that event to recognize Veterans' Day. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Migrant Labor Camp Law. Provides that licenses shall be issued prior to operation (instead of upon a calendar year basis). Effective immediately.