Sen. Kirk W. Dillard

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Makes a technical change to the penalty Section.

Amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act. Provides for the termination of the terms of office of the current members of the Health Facilities Planning Board and the appointment of new members by the Governor. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Establishes various conditions of parole and mandatory supervised release required of registered sex offenders. Effective January 1, 2005.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the offense of pandering.

Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning MIA/POW scholarships, defines "eligible veteran or serviceperson" to include an Illinois National Guard member who is on active duty or is active on a training assignment and who has been declared to be a prisoner of war or missing in action, has died as the result of a service-connected disability, or is permanently disabled from service-connected causes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Defines "stay away".

Mourns the death of Sharon L. Merritt.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that on or before February 1, 2005 and on or before February 1 of each year thereafter, the Department of State Police shall report to the Governor and both houses of the General Assembly the following information: (1) the extent of the backlog of cases awaiting testing or awaiting DNA analysis by that Department; and (2) what measures have been and are being taken to reduce that backlog and the estimated costs or expenditures in doing so. Provides that this information reported shall be made available to the public, at the time it is reported, on the official web site of the Department of State Police. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall include, in the annual service needs report regarding autism submitted to the General Assembly, a plan to provide family support mechanisms to enable persons with autism to remain in a family home environment. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Extends Medicaid eligibility for continued home-based skilled or intermediate care to persons age 21 or older (under current law, eligibility is limited to persons under age 21). Requires an annual determination of need for that level of care and requires the Department of Human Services to make an annual report concerning services provided and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of cross burning, defined as burning or causing to be burned a cross with the intent to intimidate another person or group of persons. Provides that the penalty for the offense is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense.