Sen. James T. Meeks

Creates the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003. Prohibits any unit of State, county, or local government from excluding a person from participation in, denying a person the benefits of, or subjecting a person to discrimination under any program or activity on the grounds of his or her race, color, or national origin and from using criteria or methods of administration that have the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination because of their race, color, or national origin. Authorizes a person to bring a lawsuit for a violation of the Act in State or federal court.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any waiver by a consumer of the Protections in the Act is deemed contrary to public policy and is void and unenforceable.

Amends the Developmental Disability and Mental Disability Services Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Home-Based Support Services Law for Mentally Disabled Adults.

Amends the School Code. Provides that each member of the General Assembly may annually nominate 2 students for scholarships at any State supported university (now one of the 2 must be to the University of Illinois). Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires the Department of Insurance to request and obtain information from insurers doing business in this State regarding any records of slaveholder insurance policies issued by any predecessor corporation during the slavery era, which policies provided coverage to slaveholders for damage to or death of their slaves. Provides that insurers must research and report on those policies. Requires the Department to make this information available to the public and the General Assembly. Provides that descendants of slaves are entitled to full disclosure.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Includes a prior conviction under the laws of another jurisdiction that is similar to a violation under the laws of this State for which the defendant is guilty of a Class 4 felony for domestic battery.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning child care for TANF recipients, provides that the Department of Human Services must annually establish income thresholds for determining eligibility for child care benefits. Provides that the thresholds must be no less than 50% of the then-current State median income for each family size, and deletes a provision requiring such a 50% threshold only for FY 1998. Provides that in determining a family's income, the Department must disregard 10% of the family's gross wages and salary.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act to provide instruction for the handling of domestic violence complaints with the guidelines developed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board and representatives from named State and private offices with an interest in preventing domestic violence. Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 to mandate the implementation of a system for recording domestic violence calls and annually reporting the number of those calls. Provides that law enforcement officers shall also annotate signs of whether the alleged abuser was under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that a minor subject to a delinquency petition filed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 alleging that the minor is a delinquent minor for the commission of an offense that if committed by an adult would be a felony is ineligible for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card. Provides that the ineligibility continues through adulthood.

Amends the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act. Requires the Department on Aging to establish and coordinate specified elder abuse training and education programs and to establish a database of caregivers convicted of certain offenses against the elderly or disabled. Provides that mandated reporters who fail to report abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Changes elements of and penalties for the offenses of abuse and neglect of a long term care facility resident, criminal neglect of an elderly person or person with a disability (instead of "elderly or disabled person"), and financial exploitation of an elderly person or person with a disability. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Permits victims of certain offenses against the elderly to testify through an evidence deposition rather than appear in court. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Permits the court to sentence a person convicted of certain offenses against the elderly or disabled to community service, impact incarceration, or an alcohol or substance abuse program. Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that persons convicted of certain offenses against the elderly or disabled may not inherit property from a victim. Makes other changes.