Rep. Brent Hassert

Designates the part of Interstate Route 355 in Illinois as the Veterans Memorial Tollway.

Mourns the death in Iraq of United States Army Captain Travis Patriquin of Lockport.

Amends the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption provisions in the Property Tax Code. Increases the ceiling for household income eligibility, for taxable years 2006 and thereafter, from $45,000 per year to $50,000 per year. Amends the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption provisions and the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement from the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a Section concerning the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, provides that, in taxable year 2006, the amount of the income limitation must be increased from $45,000 to $47,500 and, in taxable year 2007 and thereafter, the limitation must be increased each year by the lesser of (i) 2% or (ii) an amount equal to the annual rate of increase of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics for the previous calendar year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2006 assessment year, if, in order to qualify for a property-tax exemption, the taxpayer must have an income that is at or below a certain amount, then, for the purposes of that exemption, the term "income" does not include any Social Security benefit unless expressly stated otherwise. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Appropriates $17,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for adult day services. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that kidnaping, assault, battery, robbery, or arson committed by a gang member is enhanced to an aggravated kidnaping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, aggravated robbery, or aggravated arson.

Amends the State Finance Act. Excludes moneys received by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Illinois Credit Union Act from those moneys required to be deposited into the Financial Institution Fund. Makes certain provisions concerning transfers to the General Revenue Fund inapplicable to (i) any fund established under the Illinois Credit Union Act, the Illinois Banking Act, the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, or the Savings Bank Act and (ii) the Professions Indirect Cost Fund. Limits transfers and expenditures from those funds to specified purposes. Prohibits the allocation or transfer of additional amounts generated by certain fee increases with respect to or from the Credit Union Fund. Amends the Illinois Banking Act, the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, and the Savings Bank Act. With respect to the moneys in each of the Bank and Trust Company Fund, the Savings and Residential Finance Regulatory Fund, and the Credit Union Fund, (i) exempts those moneys from assignment or transfer except for unappropriated administrative expenses and (ii) provides that the moneys remain the property of and must be held in trust for the financial institutions from which they were collected. For FY08, requires the Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate (now, the Director of the Division of Banks and Real Estate) to adopt rules to adjust regulatory fee rates in the specified manner. Amends the Illinois Credit Union Act. Provides that the regulatory fee paid by a credit union to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall be the lesser of (i) the rate pursuant to the regulatory fee schedule or (ii) a rate established in a manner proportionately consistent with the rates in the regulatory fee schedule and that would fund the actual administrative and operational expenses of the Credit Union Section. Increases rates in the regulatory fee schedule for credit unions with total assets over $5,000,000. Requires the Director of Financial and Professional Regulation to adjust the fee schedule for the next fiscal year. Provides that the fee schedule may be increased by no more than 5% annually if necessary to defray the actual (now, estimated) administrative and operational expenses of the Credit Union Section (now, the Department). Prohibits any increase in the fee schedule if the amount remaining in the Credit Union Fund at the end of the fiscal year is equal to or greater than 25% of the actual administrative and operational expenses for the preceding fiscal year. Requires the Director to base the regulatory fee for the next fiscal year on the credit union's total assets as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year. Beginning on July 1, 2005, requires a credit union to pay the regulatory fee in quarterly installments due and payable on the due date for the call report for the preceding quarter (now, a credit union is required to pay the regulatory fee in full no later than March 1 of each calendar year). Provides for a regulatory fee cap of $125,000 (now, $187,500). Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a Section concerning the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, provides that, for taxable year 2006 and thereafter, the maximum reduction, in all counties, must be increased each year by the lesser of (i) 2% or (ii) an amount equal to the annual rate of increase of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics for the previous calendar year. Effective immediately.