Sen. Sue Rezin

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that alternative retail electric suppliers may file commercially or financially sensitive information or trade secrets contained in specified reports or filings with the Commission without also filing a formal petition with the Chief Clerk of the Commission seeking a Commission order granting confidential treatment. Provides that, if an alternative retail electric supplier elects not to file a formal petition with the Chief Clerk of the Commission seeking such a Commission order, but still desires confidential treatment for the commercially or financially sensitive information or trade secrets submitted to the Commission, it must (1) provide the Commission contemporaneously with its filing an affidavit that sets forth both the reasons for the confidentiality and a public synopsis of the information for which confidential treatment is sought; and (2) provide the Commission contemporaneously with its filing both a "confidential" and a "public" version of the report, filing, or document for which it seeks confidential treatment with all confidential information marked "Confidential". Provides that the information identified as confidential by the alternative retail electric supplier shall be afforded proprietary treatment and shall be accessible only by the Commission and the Commission staff for a 2-year period from the date of submission to the Commission. Provides that nothing prevents the Commission (A) on its own motion, after reviewing the submittal of an alternative retail electric supplier pursuant to this subsection, from requiring the alternative retail electric supplier to file a formal petition with the Chief Clerk seeking confidential treatment; (B) from entering an order expanding the list of recurring reports or filings eligible for the confidential treatment process; or (C) from entering an order adjusting the time period information may be treated by the Commission as confidential. Effective immediately.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that local law enforcement, the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Public Defender may designate representatives to serve on county juvenile justice councils. Provides that the Justice Advisory Council Director or his or her designee, or if the county has no Justice Advisory Council Director, the State's Attorney, shall serve as interim chairperson. Provides that the chairperson shall appoint additional members of the council which are representatives of local law enforcement, juvenile justice agencies, faith organizations, schools, businesses, and community organizations. Provides for the creation of Local Advisory Committees, and that 20% of the membership of these Committees must be local-justice involved youths aged 16-21. Provides that the duties and responsibilities of the Juvenile Justice Council includes facilitating community based collaboration and perspective on oversight, research, and evaluation of activities, programs, and policies directed towards and impacting the lives of juveniles.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that any residential or small commercial retail customer of an electric utility that on December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 2,000,000 customers in Illinois that has returned to that electric utility's bundled utility tariffed service offering may elect delivery services of electric power and energy supply service from an alternative retail electric supplier after at least 6 continuous monthly billing periods of electric power and supply service from that utility; however, the residential or small commercial retail customer shall not be permitted to return to the same alternative retail electric supplier within 2 billing cycles after the customer returned to that electric utility's bundled utility tariffed service other than in situations where the return was in error, inadvertent, or the result of any other unintended operational consequence. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Authorizes the State Superintendent of Education to use moneys in the institute fund and the State Board of Education to use funds available in the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund to support the recruitment and retention of educators, to support educator preparation programs as they seek national accreditation, and to provide professional development; specifies dedication of moneys. Makes changes concerning a provisional educator or career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations, a Substitute Teaching License, a general administrative endorsement on a Professional Educator License, out-of-state applicants and applicants trained in another country receiving a Professional Educator License, and professional development activities. Provides that an Educator License with Stipulations with only a paraprofessional endorsement does not lapse. Removes the requirement that an alternative educator licensure program for teachers or a principal preparation program offered by a not-for-profit entity be approved by the Board of Higher Education. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for revocation of a license, adds the offense of unauthorized video recording and live video transmission (under certain circumstances) to the definition of "sex offense". Makes changes concerning the training of teachers to teach physical education and safety education. Effective July 1, 2015.

Mourns the death of Eustachia Grubaugh of Ottawa.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that evidence of failure to comply with the seat belt requirements of the Illinois Vehicle Code may be admitted in litigation related to a motor vehicle accident for the purpose of mitigating damages in subsequent civil litigation. Provides that this mitigation will apply only to damages for pain and suffering and not to recovery of economic loss or medical payments. Maintains the prohibition on admission of evidence of failure to use child restraints as required under the Child Passenger Protection Act.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the determination of questions by the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission.

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Upon entering a conviction for a violation of specified provisions of the Act, or of specified provisions of the Criminal Code of 2012, by a defendant 18 years of age or older, the presiding judge shall notify the defendant that the conviction will be reported to the national Do Not Adopt Registry. Provides that, for convictions that occurred on and after January 1, 2015, the clerk of the court shall send notice of the conviction and the defendant's name, date of birth, physical description (gender, ethnicity, eye color, hair color, height, weight), and offense for which the defendant has been convicted, to the national Do Not Adopt Registry. Provides that, for convictions that occurred before January 1, 2015, the clerk may send notice to the national Do Not Adopt Registry of convictions by a defendant 18 years of age or older. Provides that any animal shelter, pet store, animal breeder, or individual shall conduct a search of the national Do Not Adopt Registry prior to selling, transferring, delivering, or placing for adoption a companion animal to another person.

Creates the Health Care Billing Practices Act. Requires a health care provider who provides treatment to a minor child to proportionally bill each parent for any amount that is not covered by insurance for the child if the billing amount due, after payment by the insurer, if any, is in excess of $50 and either the custodial or non-custodial parent has provided the health care provider with a certified copy of the court order requiring the proportional payment of the health care expenses of the child. Provides that a parent taking a child to visit a health care provider shall be responsible for providing the health care provider with the most recent copy of any court order that proportions payment of health care expenses between the custodial and non-custodial parent. Provides that the provisions of the Act apply only to billing practices of a health care provider and shall not limit the health care provider's ability to collect unpaid medical expenses. Effective immediately.

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.