Sen. Sue Rezin

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Includes telecommunication carriers in provisions allowing a public utility the use of another public utility's conduits, subways, wires, poles, pipes, or other property or equipment. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission may not require joint use of the property or equipment where it is used exclusively for providing broadband, interconnected VoIP, information, or wireless services. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Amends the Nuclear Safety Law of 2004. Removes certain provisions concerning the Illinois Emergency Management Agency's powers over nuclear steam-generating facility inspectors. Defines "nuclear steam-generating facility" for provisions concerning boiler and pressure vessel safety. Amends the Illinois Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act. Defines "nuclear steam-generating facility" and corrects a cross-reference. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act. Provides for additional required activities for an excavator who engages in nonemergency excavation or demolition under the Act. Modifies the requirements for an excavator who engages in emergency excavation or demolition under the Act. Provides notice requirements for damaged, dislocated, and exposed underground utility facilities. Provides additional requirements for record of notice and the marking of underground utility facilities. Modifies Sections concerning liability, financial responsibility, negligence, and penalties for violating the provisions of the Act. Repeals a Section concerning preconstruction conferences. Defines, modifies, and repeals terms. Makes certain provisions apply to home rule municipalities with a population over 1,000,000. Makes conforming and technical changes.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that in counties with a population of more than 100,000 and less than 150,000, an owner or operator of a clean construction or demolition debris fill operation or other similar operation sites shall conduct a baseline well water test on the property of the site and submit the results of the test to the Environmental Protection Agency. Effective immediately.

Designate Route 171 from Route 6 to River Road in Seneca as the "James A. Jones Memorial Highway".

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions requiring child care providers to authorize in writing a State and Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint-based criminal history record check as a condition of eligibility to participate in the child care assistance program, removes a provision exempting a child care provider who is a relative of the child from the criminal history record check requirement. Effective January 1, 2018.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning taxes on soft drinks imposed by home rule municipalities.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in the short title Section.

States the opinion of the Illinois Senate that the proposed educational pension cost shift from the State of Illinois to local school districts, community colleges, and institutions of higher education is financially wrong.