Rep. Stephanie Kifowit

Declares November 9, 2017 as "Illinois Women Veterans Day".

Congratulates Thomas J. Weisner on his retirement as Mayor of Aurora.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that a student who is already licensed to teach and is enrolled in a course of study leading to an additional teaching endorsement or a master's degree in an academic field in which he or she is teaching or plans to teach may participate in the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program (rather than limiting the program to undergraduate students). Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the General Assembly Organization Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the deposit of books, bills, documents, and papers with the Secretary of State.

Amends the Illinois Nuclear Facility Safety Act. Makes a technical change in a Section on legislative findings.

Amends the Township Code. Removes a provision preventing townships redrawn by county board action from being more than 126 square miles. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that municipalities may annex territory connected only by water or a waterway.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that the value of farm property transferred to a qualified heir shall not be included in the decedent's taxable estate for the purposes of calculating the State tax credit if any qualified heir of the decedent will be engaged in active management of the farm for a period of at least 10 years after the date of the transfer, or until the death of that qualified heir, whichever occurs first. Defines "active management", "farm property", and "qualified heir". Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall include the Veterans' Homes Fund checkoff on the individual income tax form for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2015. Provides that the Veterans' Homes Fund checkoff shall not be included when calculating the 15 tax-checkoff fund limitation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that as a condition of probation or conditional discharge for hate crime, the court shall require the offender to perform public or community service of no less than 200 hours (even if that service is not established in the county where the offender was convicted of hate crime) and to enroll in an educational program discouraging hate crimes that includes racial, ethnic, and cultural sensitivity training. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the court shall impose consecutive sentences for hate crime. Makes conforming changes concerning hate crime sentences.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that automobile insurers shall not specify or require that a motor vehicle repair shop utilize specific products, vendors, distributors, manufacturers, or suppliers in order to carry out vehicle repairs for an insured or claimant.