Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning State Urban Education Partnership Grants.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to end the tax credit for donations to certain affordable housing projects with the taxable year ending on December 31, 2011 (now, 2006). Effective immediately.
Creates the Helping Heroes Child Care Program Act and amends the State Finance Act. Establishes the Helping Heroes Child Care Program for the purpose of providing vouchers for child care to Illinois families who have one or more parents deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan by the armed services. Provides for the program to be administered by the Department of Human Services, but only if federal funding is made available for that purpose. Provides that any such federal moneys received by the State shall be deposited into the Fund for Child Care for Deployed Military Personnel, which is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides for income eligibility criteria to be established by the Department by rule. Provides that a family that received child care assistance before the parent's deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan is eligible only for a voucher for the cost of any additional hours of child care that are necessary by reason of that deployment. Provides that a family is not eligible for a child care voucher if the family receives child care services from the United States military. Repeals the Act on July 1, 2010. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Finance Act and the Children's Product Safety Act. Provides that a "children's product" is one designed or intended for children under age 12 (instead of 6); changes and adds other definitions. Provides that a children's product is deemed to be unsafe "only" if it meets certain specified criteria. Adds requirements concerning the Department of Public Health's list of unsafe children's products. Makes changes concerning safety standards for baby cribs. Imposes duties on manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and distributors in connection with recalls of children's products. Provides for civil penalties for violations of the Children's Product Safety Act, and removes a provision making a violation a Class C misdemeanor. Provides that nothing in the Act relieves a commercial dealer from compliance with stricter requirements that may be imposed by an agency of the federal government. Adds enforcement powers of the Attorney General. Creates the Attorney General Court Ordered and Voluntary Compliance Payment Projects Fund; provides for the deposit of civil penalties into the fund and for the use of moneys in the fund by the Attorney General. Effective immediately.
Creates the Commission to Study the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Past and Present Effects on African-Americans.
Recognizes February 28 through March 6, 2005 as Illinois State Historical Society Markers Awareness Week.
Amends the State Finance Act. Adds a caption.
Amends the Election Code. Authorizes election authorities to establish special procedures for late voter registration, beginning January 1, 2005. Requires the State Board of Elections to adopt necessary rules.
Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Makes a technical change in the Section concerning policing bodies furnishing fingerprints and descriptions of persons arrested to the Department of State Police and relating to the expungement of arrest records and the sealing of the records of the clerk of the circuit court.
Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the fee equal to 5% of taxes, interest, and penalties paid by the purchaser at a tax sale that is required to be paid by each person purchasing property at a sale under the Code shall not be paid after June 30, 2005 (now, is not required after December 31, 2006). Provides that service of notice of the tax sale of property and the expiration of the period of redemption may be completed by regular mail (now, by registered or certified mail). Makes other changes.
