Rep. Jim Watson

Amends the Ticket Scalping Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning service charges.

Congratulates Jerry Reinsdorf for his astuteness in assembling one of the most winning teams in Chicago White Sox history and for bringing the first World Series Championship to Chicago since 1917.

Celebrates the life and literary gifts of Shelby Foote, one of the most prominent Civil War novelists of all time.

Amends the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act. Allows the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Board to establish conditions and procedures under which the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan may discount or subsidize premiums for unemployed or retired coal miners who are federally eligible and whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004, and to accept funds appropriated for this purpose. Allows unemployed or retired coal miners who are federally eligible and whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004 to be eligible for the Plan even though their premiums may be discounted or subsidized. Requires federally eligible unemployed or retired coal miners whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004 to pay the discounted or subsidized premiums established by the Board. Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Makes changes concerning veteran grants with regard to who qualifies for assistance, the type of assistance, notification to the postsecondary institution, and administration of the program. Makes changes concerning the Illinois National Guard grant program with regard to who is eligible for a grant and what the grant covers. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Authorizes the Department to retain the fingerprint record of a child fingerprinted at a Department data collection location. Requires the permission of the child's parent or guardian and permits retention and use only if the child is later missing or abducted, if an Amber Alert is issued for that child, or if a missing person report is filed for that child. Requires that the Department destroy the record after the child reaches age 18, unless the 18-year-old authorizes retention of the record.

Amends the Human Services 211 Collaboration Board Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that property up to an assessed value of $70,000 (now,$58,000), owned and used exclusively by a disabled veteran, or the spouse or unmarried surviving spouse of the veteran, as a home, is exempt. Effective immediately.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that identifying information in indicated reports involving the sexual abuse of a child, the death of a child, or serious physical injury to a child must be retained after the report is indicated or after the subsequent case or report is closed (instead of may be retained longer than 5 years after that time).

Amends the Cemetery Protection Act. Provides that a cemetery lot or a mausoleum crypt (instead of just a cemetery lot) may be presumed abandoned if the listed circumstances exist. Effective immediately.