Sen. Terry Link

Mourns the death of Gail M. Svendsen of Grayslake.

Amends the Deposit of State Moneys Act, the Public Funds Deposit Act, the State Officers and Employees Money Disposition Act, and the Public Funds Investment Act. Provides that a treasurer or custodian of public funds may accept, as security for public funds deposited into a bank (i) certain securities authorized by certain provisions of the Deposit of State Moneys Act, the Public Funds Investment Act, or the Public Funds Deposit Act, and (ii) certificates issued by a financial institution with assets of $15,000,000 (instead of $30,000,000) or more. Authorizes a public agency, when depositing public funds, to enter into an agreement with financial institutions requiring that any non-insured funds be collateralized by certain classes of securities. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. Adds "transportation" to the purposes and uses of the revenue from the special county retailers' occupation tax for public safety. Provides notice requirements that must be fulfilled before the tax may be imposed for transportation purposes. Provides the form of a referendum proposition for imposing the tax for transportation purposes. Requires that the moneys collected be deposited into a special fund. Effective immediately.

Creates the State Economic Assistance Accountability Act. Provides that State economic assistance provided by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs as an incentive to a business organization must be based on the terms of a written incentive agreement between the Department and the business organization, which agreement must identify the specific State economic assistance to be provided to the business organization during the term of the agreement. Lists terms the agreement must contain. Provides that State economic assistance incentive agreements must provide that if a business organization either fails to make the requisite level of capital investment in the project or fails to create or retain the specified number of jobs within the specified time frame, as provided under the Act authorizing the State economic assistance, the business organization shall be deemed to no longer qualify for the State economic assistance. Provides that State economic assistance must total at least $75,000 on a single project for applicability. Provides that the full content of all written incentive agreements are to be published on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs website. Effective immediately.

Creates the Automotive Collision Repair Act. Sets out requirements for disclosure of estimates to consumers and notice of customer's rights. Provides for disclosure of invoices to customers. Requires collision repair facilities to post a sign containing the list of the customers' rights. Contains a list of practices that are unlawful for collision repair facilities to engage in. Amends the Automotive Repair Act. Makes collision repair facilities exempt from the Act.

Amends the Circuit Courts Act and the Judicial Vacancies Act. Adds 3 resident judgeships to the twelfth judicial circuit, 3 resident judgeships to the eighteenth circuit, and 4 resident judgeships to the nineteenth judicial circuit. Requires that the additional judgeships be filled beginning at the 2006 general election and prohibits appointments to fill those judgeships before the 2006 general election. Requires that by January 1, 2005, the General Assembly divide those circuits into subcircuits. Requires that the Supreme Court allot the additional judgeships and the other resident judgeships, as they become vacant (other than for election in 2004), to the various subcircuits to be filled by election until the appropriate number of resident judges is elected from each subcircuit. Requires the Supreme Court to determine by lot the numerical order of the subcircuits for the purpose of assigning resident judgeships to subcircuits.

Creates the Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research Act. Provides that in conducting or supporting a project of clinical research, a grantee receiving State funds must ensure that women and members of minority groups are included as subjects in research projects. Provides that a grantee must conduct or support outreach programs for the recruitment of women and members of minority groups as subjects in projects of clinical research. Provides for exceptions.

Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that the exception to the requirement of consents or surrenders for adoption for a person found by the court to be the father of the child as a result of criminal sexual abuse or assault applies when the sexual abuse or assault results in (i) a founded, cleared, or suspended police report, (ii) an indicated report of child sexual abuse as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act that involved sexual penetration of the mother, or (iii) a sworn affidavit provided by a licensed psychologist or a licensed social worker.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act by making it an unlawful practice to knowingly mail or send or cause to be mailed or sent a postcard or letter to a recipient in this State if the postcard or letter contains a request that the recipient call a telephone number, the postcard or letter is sent to induce the recipient to call the telephone number so that merchandise may be offered for sale to the recipient, and the postcard or letter does not disclose that merchandise may be offered for sale if the recipient calls the telephone number.

Creates the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003. Prohibits any unit of State, county, or local government from excluding a person from participation in, denying a person the benefits of, or subjecting a person to discrimination under any program or activity on the grounds of his or her race, color, or national origin and from using criteria or methods of administration that have the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination because of their race, color, or national origin. Authorizes a person to bring a lawsuit for a violation of the Act in State or federal court.