Sen. Pamela J. Althoff

Amends the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act. Provides that a home rule unit of local government or any municipality in this State may regulate smoking in public places. Provides that this regulation must be no less restrictive than the regulation in the Act. Changes the home rule limitation from an absolute preemption to a limitation on the concurrent exercise of home rule power. Maintains the exemption from home rule requirements for home rule units that passed ordinances regulating smoking before October 1, 1989. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that persons who were engaged in active military or naval service of the United States for at least one year (now, at any time during certain stated periods) and who were honorably discharged shall be preferred for appointments to civil offices, positions, and places of employment in the classified service of a municipality that is subject to Division 1 of the Code. Provides that the municipality's civil service commission shall give preference points for original appointments to qualified veterans, whose names appear on any register of eligibles resulting from a civil service entrance exam, by adding 5 points to their final grade averages. Provides that qualified veterans shall be preferred for promotional civil service appointments and that the preference that the qualified veterans will receive shall be seven-tenths of one point for each 6 months or fraction thereof of active military or naval service not exceeding 30 months (now, no requirement that the service be active). Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act. For purposes of designating an agricultural area, requires that any non-contiguous portion must be within 1.5 miles of the nearest portion of the area.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that all members of a board of health must be residents of the county, except that a member who is required to be a physician, dentist, or nurse may reside outside the county if there is no physician, dentist, or nurse who resides in the county who is willing and able to serve.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the compilation of average daily attendance under the State aid formula, makes changes concerning the days when the Prairie State Achievement Examination is administered. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Designates the month of November of each year as Alzheimer's Awareness Month.

Amends the Conservation District Act. Provides that contracts for supplies, material, or work in excess of $20,000 (now, $10,000) shall be let to lowest responsible bidder. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Prohibits the corporate authorities of a municipality from entering into a jurisdictional boundary line agreement unless written notice is provided to the owners of all property affected by the proposed agreement.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that any territory to be annexed to a municipality shall be considered contiguous notwithstanding that the territory is separated from the municipality by a former railroad right-of-way that has been converted to a recreational trail, but upon annexation the area included in the right-of-way shall not be considered to be annexed to the municipality.

Amends the Mobile Home Local Services Tax Enforcement Act. In any tax sale proceeding in which the tax purchaser is a county acting as trustee for taxing districts, makes inapplicable the requirement that an order for the issuance of a tax certificate of title under the Act shall not be entered affecting the title to or interest in any mobile home in which a city, village, or incorporated town has an interest under the police and welfare power by advancements made from public funds, until the purchaser or assignee makes reimbursement to the city, village, or incorporated town of the money so advanced or the city, village, or town waives its lien on the mobile home for the money so advanced. Provides that the requirement that a person who has a certificate of purchase and obtains a court order directing the issuance of a tax certificate of title for a mobile home located on a lot in a manufactured home community must follow certain rules with respect to that community does not apply if that person is a county acting as trustee for taxing districts. Provides that these changes are declarative of existing law. Effective immediately.