Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education, in coordination with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, shall implement a Giant Steps Autism Center for Excellence program for the study and evaluation of autism and to provide related teacher training and other services. The program shall be operated over a period of 3 school years, beginning with the 2004-2005 school year. The State Board of Education is authorized to make grants to school districts that apply to participate in the Giant Steps Autism Center for Excellence program. The State Board of Education shall by rule provide the form of application and criteria to be used and applied in selecting participating school districts. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Labor Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Labor to conduct a study to determine the causes of and remedies for any barriers that minorities and women face in gaining access to apprenticeship programs in the State and to report the results of the study to the Governor and General Assembly no later than Labor Day in 2004. Provides that these provisions are repealed on January 1, 2005. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Services Act. Provides that the annual appropriation to the Department of Human Services to fund community services must include an increase over the appropriation for the previous fiscal year that reflects an increase in the Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Government Purchases as determined by the federal Department of Commerce, beginning with appropriations for FY 2004. Effective immediately.

Creates the Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act. Requires various physical fitness facilities, including (i) facilities owned or operated by a unit of local government or by a school, college, or university, (ii) golf courses, and (iii) health or fitness clubs, to develop and implement a plan for responding to medical emergencies and to file a copy of the plan with the Department of Public Health. Requires each such facility to have on its premises at least one automated external defibrillator (AED) and a trained AED user. Authorizes the Department of Public Health to inspect physical fitness facilities to investigate complaints and to ensure compliance with the Act. Authorizes the Department to impose monetary penalties for violations of the Act. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to provide a tax exemption for private physical fitness facilities in connection with the purchase of AEDs.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that every public utility that provides gas or electric service to residential customers as primary or secondary sources of heating or cooling must report all of the following information annually in writing to the Illinois Commerce Commission: (1) the number of accounts that are past due each month, (2) the aggregate amount of past due balances each month, (3) the number of disconnection notices issued to residential customers each month, (4) the number of residential customers disconnected each month, (5) the number of residential customers eligible for emergency services under the Energy Assistance Act each year, and (6) the aggregate amount of arrears that are written off as bad business debt each year. Requires a utility to reconnect service to LIHEAP-eligible households whose service was disconnected for nonpayment if the consumer (i) pays 20% of the outstanding bill for the household or $250, whichever is less or (ii) agrees to a payment plan negotiated with the public utility by the local area agency on behalf of the consumer. Requires an electric or gas public utility to participate in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan established under the Energy Assistance Act and establish and implement an arrearage reduction program for consumers who are participating in the Plan. Provides that, if a public utility writes off uncollectable account arrearages as a bad business debt on its State or federal income tax return, the utility shall cease all collection activities for that debt and write the indebtedness off of its books. Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to institute a Percentage of Income Payment Plan to ensure the availability of heating, cooling, and electric service to low income citizens. Requires that the Plan be in operation by November 1, 2005. Authorizes the Department to enter into contracts and other agreements with local agencies for the purpose of administering the Plan. Provides that monies in the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund be used to to fund the Plan. Effective immediately.

Provides for the ratification of the proposed equal rights amendment to the United States Constitution.

Amends the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act. Expands the scope of the Act to victims of violent felony crimes (rather than just limited to victims of domestic or sexual violence).

Amends the Chicago Park District Act and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act. Removes the authority to sell, convey, lease, or grant a permit or license with respect to the right to name a facility that is under the direction of the Chicago Park District or the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Historic Preservation Agency for its FY05 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2004.

Amends the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption provisions of the Property Tax Code. Provides that in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants (i) if the assessed valuation of property has increased by more than 20% over the previous assessed valuation of that property, an additional exemption is allowed, with the amount determined by household income and (ii) if a person has been granted a senior citizens homestead exemption, the person qualifying need not reapply for the exemption unless the person is applying for an additional exemption based upon a household income of less than $40,000. Effective immediately.