Sen. William Delgado

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Prohibits a vendor under the Medicaid program from using Medicaid reimbursements to pay for activities directly related to influencing employees of the vendor regarding their decision to organize or not to organize and to form a union or to join an existing union. Exempts nursing homes from these provisions. Provides for civil monetary penalties for violations. Authorizes any person to bring an action to enforce collection of a penalty if the Attorney General declines to do so.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Changes references in the statute on unlawful sale of firearms from "sell" or "give" to "transfer". Prohibits multiple transfers of handguns within a 30-day period. Creates the offense of unlawful acquisition of handguns. Provides exemptions and affirmative defenses. Penalty is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, if a school district adopts, in a fiscal year, an additional or supplemental budget as a result of the voters in the school district having voted in favor of an increase in the annual tax rate for educational or operations and maintenance purposes or both at an election held after the adoption of the annual school budget adopted in that fiscal year, the county clerk shall include, in the extension of taxes made during that fiscal year, the extension of taxes for the supplemental or additional budget adopted by the school district.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to implement and administer a quality teacher incentive program, in which the Board provides signing bonuses of $1,500 each to eligible teachers. Requires the teacher to agree to teach for a minimum of 3 consecutive years in a public school on the academic watch list. Effective July 1, 2003.

Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning the United States citizenship requirement for teacher certification, allows the State Superintendent of Education to extend the 6-year time limit for becoming a U.S. citizen for a period of 2 years if the person certifies his or her intention to become a U.S. citizen and furnishes proof that he or she has filed an application for citizenship. Provides that upon the expiration of this extension period, the State Superintendent of Education may grant an additional extension of 2 years upon proof that the person's application for citizenship is pending.

Amends the School Code. Replaces certain provisions concerning certificates valid for teaching in transitional bilingual education programs with provisions concerning transitional bilingual certificates. Provides that transitional bilingual certificates are valid for 2 years and may not be renewed more than 3 times. Establishes education requirements for renewal. Encourages a school district that employs a certificate holder to provide mentoring by an experienced teacher during the first 2 years that the holder's certificate is valid. Provides that an individual who completes 4 years of teaching after receiving a certificate qualifies for a Standard Teaching Certificate if certain requirements are met. In the Section requiring United States citizenship within 6 years after the date of issuance of a certificate to teach or supervise, allows the State Superintendent of Education to extend the 6-year time limit for a period of 2 years if the person certifies his or her intention to become a United States citizen and furnishes proof that he or she has filed an application for United States citizenship. Provides that upon the expiration of this extension period, the State Superintendent of Education may grant an additional extension of 2 years upon proof that the person's application for citizenship is pending. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Includes disabled persons within the provisions granting an assessment freeze homestead exemption to senior citizens. Changes the name to the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (now Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption). Makes corresponding changes to a cross-reference to the exemption. Amends the States Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning exemptions for property used for charitable purposes.

Creates the Supreme Court Campaign Reform Act. Provides that candidates for the Supreme Court may apply for a public financing benefit in connection with their campaign. Sets the amount of the public financing benefit at $750,000 for the general primary and general election cycle. Sets requirements for qualifying for the public financing benefits. Limits the amount of private contributions qualified candidates may accept. Limits the amounts that non-participating candidates may accept from private sources during campaign periods to $1,000 in the aggregate. Provides that qualified candidates must be distributed a line of credit from the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund to be used for lawful political expenditures. Provides for the increase of the line of credit if non-complying candidates make certain expenditures. Sets penalties for violations of the Act. Provides that the Illinois Supreme Court may require attorneys to contribute money to the Fund not to exceed $25 annually. Contains other provisions. Amends the Election Code. Provides that a payment for electioneering communications is an "expenditure". Provides that a group that "accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 for the purpose of electioneering communications" is a political committee. Allows the Board of Elections to impose a fine against a committee that fails to report expenditures that could trigger matching funds under the Supreme Court Campaign Reform Act. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Requires the Department of Revenue to print on its standard individual income tax form a provision by which the taxpayer may make a contribution (not less than $1) to the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund. Amends the Clerk of the Courts Act. Requires circuit court clerks to transfer $1 from each appearance fee paid to the State Treasurer for deposit into the Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund and, to defray that expense, the county board may, by resolution, require the clerk of the circuit court in the county to charge and collect a Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund fee of not more than $1, which shall be paid at the time that any appearance fee is paid. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of paternity fraud. Provides that a person commits the offense by knowingly alleging that a person is the biological father of a child when that person knows that the allegation is false. Provides that the penalty is a Class A misdemeanor.