Sen. Martin A. Sandoval

Creates the Universal Child Care Benefit Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to assist families by supporting their child care choices through direct financial support to a maximum of $1,200 per year in respect to each child who is at least 2 years of age but has not attained the age of 5 years. Requires the Department of Human Services to pay parents a monthly benefit of $100 for each child who qualifies under the Act. Contains provisions concerning overpayments; acknowledgment of liability; interest payments; and interagency agreements. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure to make a corresponding change.

Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides that, after a hearing, the board of commissioners of a sanitary district may order the party responsible for the discharge of sewage, industrial wastes, or other wastes into the district's sewerage system to pay a civil penalty in an amount that is not less than $1,000 (now, $100) nor more than $2,000 per day for each day of discharge in violation of the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Construction Bond Act. Provides that a contractor who has entered into a contract for public work for the State or a political subdivision of the State may not require a subcontractor to post a bond to guarantee completion of a project or to pay a share of any bond that the contractor is required to furnish. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall require all regulated telecommunication carriers under its authority to submit an annual report on all procurement goals and actual spending for minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and small business enterprises. Provides that each regulated telecommunication carrier shall submit the rules, regulations, and definitions used for its procurement goals and the name and contact information for the staff person responsible for administering the programs associated with the goals in the annual report. Provides that the Commission shall publish each annual report on its website and shall maintain each annual report for at least 5 years. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Library Construction Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning automated traffic law enforcement systems.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that before the Superintendent of Highways of a county with a population of 2 million or more inhabitants may update the long-range highway transportation plan for that county, as annually required, all of the following requirements must be met: (i) at least 90 days before the plan is required to be updated, the President of the Board of Commissioners of the county must submit the proposed updated plan to the Chairpersons of the Transportation Committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) at least 90 days before the plan is required to be updated, the President of the Board of Commissioners of the county must prepare and deliver a presentation on the proposed updated plan for the Transportation Committees in each chamber and address any questions that members of those committees might have about the proposed updated plan, and (iii) at least 60 days before the plan is required to be updated, the proposed updated plan must be approved in whole or rejected in whole by joint resolution of the General Assembly. Provides that if these requirements are not met, then no State moneys may be spent or appropriated on highway improvement projects identified in the proposed updated plan. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Community College Act and various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college district to establish an Office of Advising for First Generation College Students to serve those students who are the first in their family to attend an institution of higher education.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that no instruction permit may be issued to a child who is less than 16 (instead of 15) years of age and makes corresponding changes throughout the Code. Provides that instruction permits and licenses issued to drivers under 18 years of age shall be invalid from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (instead of between 11:00 p.m. Friday and 6:00 a.m. Saturday; between 11:00 p.m. Saturday and 6:00 a.m. on Sunday; and between 10:00 p.m. on Sunday to Thursday, inclusive, and 6:00 a.m. on the following day).

Urges the Chicago Park District to prioritize in its capital plan the renovation of Kelly Park in the Brighton Park neighborhood of the 12th Ward.