Sen. Kirk W. Dillard

Mourns the death of Joseph Denis Madigan Jr.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish uniform procedures for providing timely advance notice of early release of inmates to law enforcement in local jurisdictions and shall submit a report to the General Assembly, by January 1, 2012, of those notice procedures. Provides that the 14-day advance notice of early release of an inmate because of the award of good conduct credit for meritorious service shall be provided to the Governor and sheriff of the county where the prosecution took place. Effective immediately.

Creates the Plastic Bulk Merchandise Container Act. Provides that a person who is in the business of recycling, shredding, or destroying plastic bulk merchandise containers, before purchasing 5 or more plastic bulk merchandise containers from the same person, shall obtain a proof of ownership, create a record of the sale, and verify the identity of the seller. Provides that a person who is in the business of recycling, shredding, or destroying plastic bulk merchandise containers shall not pay for the containers in cash and shall record the method of payment used to purchase the containers. Requires the purchaser to keep a record of the sale for one year. Provides that a person who violates the Act is guilty of a petty offense and subject to a fine not exceeding $500. Provides that the Attorney General may inspect records and investigate alleged violations.

Amends the Taxi Safety Act of 2007. Provides that a taxi driver must be 21 years of age or older, must have a valid driver's license issued by any state in the United States, must have had a valid driver's license for at least 3 years, and during the immediately preceding 3-year period must not have been convicted of the following offences: leaving the scene of a traffic accident involving death or personal injury; driving under the influence; reckless driving; drag racing; street racing; manslaughter or reckless homicide; or reckless conduct arising from the use of a motor vehicle. Also provides that if he or she, after becoming a taxi driver, is convicted of any of those offenses or ceases to be licensed, the taxi driver must immediately cease operating a taxicab and the prohibition shall continue until specified conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2012.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, if in any taxable year the governing authority of any taxing district determines that a surplus of funds is available from any source, that taxing district may, by resolution or ordinance, eliminate its tax levy for that taxable year. Provides that the taxing district may resume its tax levy in any subsequent taxable year without additional referendum approval.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, the Non-Support Punishment Act, and the Illinois Parentage Act. Provides that if a person who is found guilty of contempt for failure to pay support conducts a business or is self-employed, the court may in addition to other penalties provided by law order the person to do one or more of the following: (i) provide monthly financial statements from the business or the self-employment; (ii) seek employment and report to the court information about his or her employment search; or (iii) report to the Department of Employment Security for job search services to find employment that will be subject to child support withholding. Effective January 1, 2013.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a Section concerning accident counseling shall apply to Class I and Class II (instead of only Class I) rail carriers. Provides that each Class I and Class II rail carrier must review and update its accident counseling or trauma program filing on an annual basis. Provides that programs may be filed either by mail or electronically via an email address designated by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Effective immediately.

Amends the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Provides that all purchases of recyclable metal must be recorded as provided in the Act, instead of only purchases of recyclable metal with a minimum value of $100. Provides that recyclable metal dealers must retain transaction records for 3 instead of 2 years. Requires dealers to ask about where the recyclable metal was obtained. Requires a recyclable metal dealer that suspects property in his or her possession to be lost or stolen to immediately notify local law enforcement. Restricts the purchase and sale of specific materials without documentation of ownership. Provides that recyclable metal dealers cannot pay cash, nor make payment at the time of the transaction, for specified metals. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for a recyclable metal dealer to purchase or attempt to purchase recyclable metal from persons convicted of specified felonies, when the dealer has been informed of such convictions by law enforcement. Provides that any person, in addition to a recyclable metal dealer, who knowingly fails to comply with the Act is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense, and a Class 4 felony for the second or subsequent offense.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of failure to report the disappearance of a child to a law enforcement agency. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she, as a parent, guardian, or other person having physical custody or control of a child under 13 years of age, knowingly or recklessly fails to immediately report the child as missing to a law enforcement agency after a 24-hour period expires in which he or she failed to make contact with or otherwise verify the whereabouts and safety of that child. Provides that a person does not commit the offense of failure to report the disappearance of a child to a law enforcement agency when the failure to report is due to an act of God, act of war, or inability of a law enforcement agency to receive a report of the disappearance of a child. Provides that a violation is a Class 4 felony. Provides that a parent, guardian, or other person having physical custody or control of a child under 18 years of age must report: (1) the child's death to a law enforcement agency within one hour after learning about the child's death or (2) the location of the child's corpse to a law enforcement agency within one hour after learning the location of the corpse. Provides that a person does not violate this provision when he or she fails to report due to an act of God, act of war, or inability of a law enforcement agency to receive a report of a child's death or the location of a child's corpse. Provides that a violation is a Class 4 felony.

Amends the Food and Agriculture Research Act. Provides that appropriations for the purposes of the Act shall be made to the Illinois Department of Agriculture for research to Illinois public and non-public institutions of higher education. Provides that the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research shall prepare and deliver to the General Assembly, Governor, Director of Agriculture, and the food and agricultural research administrators at each of the public and non-public institutions of higher learning that receive research dollars under the Act an annual report providing a summary and detailed account of the research programs being supported. Provides any additional grants or donations for research shall be deposited into the Food and Agricultural Research Fund and may be appropriated and used for the purposes of the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Food and Agricultural Research Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.