Sen. Dale E. Risinger

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning February 1, 2006 and through April 30, 2006, with respect to propane and home heating oil, the tax under the Acts is imposed at the rate of 1.25% (eliminating the State's portion of the tax). Amends the State Finance Act to make corresponding changes concerning the distribution of the tax. Amends the Gas Revenue Tax Act. Suspends the tax on sale for the use or consumption of gas by residential customers for the period beginning February 1, 2006 through April 30, 2006. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the legislative intent of the Act.

Amends the School Code. Provides that only scores on State assessments of students enrolled in a school on or before the last school day in September of the school year in which a State assessment is given shall be used in determining whether a school is placed on academic early warning status or academic watch status. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that any person involved in a dispute or controversy regarding the amount due and owing on a highway construction contract awarded by the Department of Transportation may have the dispute or controversy settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association's Construction Industry Arbitration Rules. Provides that all parties to the settlement are bound by the terms of the arbitration settlement. Provides that any settlement shall allow the claimant to receive costs associated with filing and pursuing the claim and shall be paid within 30 days. Provides that any contractor awarded a highway construction contract by the Department may seek relief in the Illinois Court of Claims with regard to any monetary dispute with the Department, regardless of any contractual language to the contrary.

Amends the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act. Prohibits the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity from approving any grant for the new construction of a renewable fuel plant unless the applicant provides proof of financial backing and identifies investors in the project. Provides that grant awards are subject to appropriation from the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund (now, the Build Illinois Bond Fund). Deletes the $15,000,000 limit on grant awards. Creates the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund to be used by the Department for the purposes of the Renewable Fuels Development Program. Amends the State Finance Act. Exempts the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund and the Underground Storage Tank Fund from the Act's administrative charge-back provisions. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that certain distillation machinery and equipment used for the production of renewable fuel is exempt from taxation under the Acts. Provides that 5% of the proceeds collected under the Acts from the tax on the sale or use of motor fuel must be deposited into the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund and 5% must be deposited into the Underground Storage Tank Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that any territory that is not within the corporate limits of any municipality shall be considered to be contiguous to the municipality for annexation purposes if the territory is separated from the municipality by a former railroad right-of-way that has been converted to a recreational trail. Provides that the area included within the former railroad right-of-way shall not be considered to be annexed to the municipality. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that beginning January 1, 2007, the Department shall pay an additional $1.33 per hour of chore/housekeeping and homemaker service performed by a chore/housekeeping and homemaker service provider vendor to all vendors who certify that they will offer health insurance to all qualifying employees, and their dependents. Requires the amount of funding, for years after 2007, to be adjusted by the amount of which the medical component of the Consumer Price Index exceeds such component for the previous calendar year. Defines a qualifying employee as an employee that provides over 100 hours of chore/housekeeping and homemaker services per month for 3 consecutive months. Requires that chore/housekeeping and homemaker service provider vendors must certify that 50% of their workforce is eligible for coverage as a qualifying employee. Provides that the Department must set minimum standards for a qualifying health plan by rule. Sets forth that provider vendors who fail to offer coverage to all qualifying employees shall be subject to penalties up to and including the requirement to return all moneys paid under this paragraph by the State as prescribed by Department rule.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that "travel" does not include any expenses incurred while outside the State of Illinois if at any time between leaving Illinois and returning to Illinois the person prepared for, organized, or participated in any political fundraising activity. Effective immediately.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that no person shall sell a gift certificate that is subject to an expiration date or a fee. Provides that the face value of a gift certificate may not be reduced in value and the holder of a gift certificate may not be penalized in any way for non-use or untimely redemption of the gift certificate. Deletes language requiring that a gift certificate subject to a fee or expiration date contain a statement clearly and conspicuously printed on the gift certificate stating the expiration date or whether there is a fee. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may not recover any overpayment or money improperly or erroneously paid under the Medicaid program to the extent that the overpayment or improper or erroneous payment was to a long-term care facility and resulted from the failure of personnel in a County Department of Public Aid office or local office of the Department of Human Services to document the income of residents of the facility for the purpose of adjusting the amounts paid by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly the Department of Public Aid) to the facility for services provided to those residents. Effective immediately.