Sen. Pamela J. Althoff

Creates the Community Education Act to support community service education programs, which educate students about the value of civic involvement through actual school-sponsored involvement in their communities. Creates the Community Education Program, administered by the State Board of Education. Allows a school district to establish a community education program. With respect to a school district community education program, contains provisions concerning local input, a Director of Community Education, the non-duplication of programs, community education consortiums, partnership agreements, funding, and grants. Effective immediately.

Amends the Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title and purpose of the Act.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a firefighter for a participating municipality who was employed as an active firefighter providing fire protection for a village or incorporated town with a population of greater than 10,000 but less that 11,000 located in a county with a population of greater than 600,000 and less than 700,000, as estimated by the United States Census on July 1, 2004, to elect to establish creditable service for periods of that employment in which the firefighter provided fire protection services for the participating municipality. Provides for calculation of creditable service for service as a part-time firefighter for such a village or incorporated town. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 relating to dog fighting. Increases the penalty for attending a dog fight from a Class C to a Class A misdemeanor. Provides that if a person under 13 years of age is present at any dog fight, the parent, legal guardian, or other person who is 18 years of age or older who brings that person under 13 years of age to that dog fight is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a first violation and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent violation. Increases various other penalties by one class for promoting, conducting, or advertising a dog fight or for selling a dog to be used in a dog fight. Provides that it is prima facie evidence of a violation of these provisions that the offender possessed any treadmill wheel, hot walker, or other paraphernalia, together with evidence that the paraphernalia is being used or intended for use in the unlawful training of a dog to fight with another dog, along with the possession of any such dog. Provides that a law enforcement agency shall obtain evidence of a violation of these provisions as the agency deems appropriate through videotape, written police reports, or observation of activities occurring on the property or at the residence of an offender and shall use this evidence to train peace officers in recognizing violations.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that discrimination against a person because of the person's veteran status (status as a person who served on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, or the Illinois Army National Guard or Illinois Air National Guard and who was discharged with other than a dishonorable discharge) constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that a drug product containing dextromethorphan may not be sold, delivered, distributed, or possessed except in accordance with the prescription requirements of the Act. Provides that a violation is a Class 4 felony. Exempts from this requirement a drug product containing dextromethorphan that is sold in tablet, liquid, capsule, or gel form and which is formulated, packaged, and sold in dosages and concentrations for use as an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Designates each December 10 as Jane Addams Day.

Authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to convey certain land in McHenry County to the Village of Spring Grove. Effective immediately.

Names the week of July 23 through July 29, 2006, Square and Round Dance week in the State of Illinois.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. In the definition of "peace officer", provides that for the purposes of statutes involving the false personation of a peace officer, false personation of a peace officer while carrying a deadly weapon, and aggravated false personation of a peace officer, certain federal law enforcement officers shall be considered peace officers. Increases the penalties for aggravated false personation of a peace officer and aggravated false personation of a fire fighter. Creates the offenses of false personation of a peace officer while carrying a deadly weapon and false personation of a fire fighter while carrying a deadly weapon. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person who without lawful authority stops or detains another person while operating a motor vehicle using red or white oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights is guilty of a Class 2 rather than a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.