Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes it a Class 3 felony to commit, for the purpose of disrupting the delivery of a communication service, the following acts: acquiring a communication service without authorization; or possessing, manufacturing, modifying, transferring, or offering devices for acquiring a communication service without authorization.
Amends the Illinois Building Commission Act. Repeals a Section concerning the identification of local building codes by certain municipalities and counties. Effective immediately.
Amends the Interagency Wetland Policy Act of 1989. Makes technical changes in a Section concerning the short title.
Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to award grants to all practicing physicians (instead of only to physicians offering obstetrical medical services in rural areas) for the purpose of reimbursing the costs of obtaining malpractice insurance. Requires the Department to establish reasonable conditions, standards, and duties relating to the grants.
Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for deposit into the Illinois Equal Justice Fund. Effective July 1, 2004.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning construction of the Code.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to class actions. Adds additional requirements concerning: prerequisites to the maintenance of a class action (including provisions that a class action may be certified only if: the plurality of the class members are residents of Illinois or if the plurality of the class members were physically in Illinois when the cause of action arose; and a class action is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy); where a class action may be brought; preliminary determinations to be made by the court; notice to the class; coupon and other noncash settlements; loss by class members under a proposed settlement; and attorney's fees.
Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Private Attorney Retention Sunshine Law within the Act. Prohibits the State Comptroller from authorizing payments under State contracts for legal services unless the awarding entity certifies that copies of the contract were filed with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives for distribution to General Assembly members. Limits the certification and filing requirements to contracts (i) of $500,000 or more or of a contingent nature; (ii) awarded by executive branch constitutional officers, Code departments, and executive branch boards, commissions, and authorities; and (iii) procured other than through a competitive request for proposals method. Imposes specified limits on contingent fees. Effective July 1, 2004.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for a 4-year traffic stop statistical study requiring State law enforcement officers to record on the face of a uniform traffic citation or warning citation the race of the motorist and whether there was a search of the vehicle, vehicle driver, or passenger resulting in no further legal action. Requires the Director of State Police to compile data obtained from the traffic citation as to the race of the motorist and searches of vehicles, vehicle drivers, and passengers that resulted in no further legal action and forward that data to the Secretary of State. Requires the Secretary of State to study that data to determine if there is a pattern of discrimination throughout the State regarding traffic stops and to report to the Governor and General Assembly, without identifying individuals stopped or law enforcement officers. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Extends the deadline for the Thoroughbred Breeder's Program Task Force to make its recommendations to the General Assembly from March 1, 2000 to March 1, 2004. Also makes a technical change.
