Sen. Don Harmon

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Authorizes the Illinois Commerce Commission, after notice and a hearing, to order an electric utility to file a tariff or tariffs allowing residential retail customers in the electric utility's service area to elect real-time pricing beginning January 1, 2007. Sets forth information required to be included in the tariff. Requires an electric utility providing real-time pricing to install an appropriate meter for customers who elect to use real-time pricing. Requires the electric utility to contract with a program administrator to develop a program of consumer outreach, education, and enrollment concerning real-time pricing and to establish and administer information and technical and customer assistance for management of electricity use. Authorizes an electric utility to recover reasonable costs incurred in complying with such an order. Requires the Commission to establish a demand reduction objective for each residential real-time pricing program and a timetable for achievement of the objective. Defines "real-time pricing" to mean tariffed retail charges for delivered electric power and energy that vary hour-to-hour (now, that vary on an hour-to-hour basis for non-residential retail customers and that vary on a periodic basis during the day for residential retail customers) and that are determined from wholesale market prices using a methodology approved by the Commission. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Provides that the Act does not prohibit an employer from maintaining compensation plans, incentive plans, or agreements providing that a portion of the compensation or incentives for employees whose total compensation exceeds $100,000 per year may be payable after separation of employment and may be subject to nonpayment under specified terms and conditions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Short-term Loan Act to regulate lenders offering short-term loans (defined as deferred presentment loans and title-secured loans). Requires such a lender to notify the borrower that the borrower is entitled to contact the Division of Financial Institutions of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation concerning debt management services and improprieties concerning the loan. Sets forth standards and requirements concerning the dispersal of loan proceeds, the written loan agreement, cancellation of future payment obligations, electronic funds transfer, and posting of charges. Prohibits a lender from engaging in other types of business if it does so for the purpose of violating the Act and prohibits the lender from engaging in any unfair or deceptive acts, practices, or advertising. Authorizes the borrower to recover undisclosed or excessive charges. Preempts all administrative rules of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation concerning short-term loans. Establishes specific standards and requirements for both deferred presentment loans and title-secured loans. Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act. Provides that the provisions of that Act do not apply to short-term loans. Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. In provisions concerning civil liability for deceptive practices, provides that a lender is not entitled to collect damages of treble on an amount owing from a short-term loan. Effective immediately.

Amends the Gas Use Tax Law. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning self-assessing purchasers.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning penalties.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that referees and Director's representatives of the Department of Employment Security shall be referred to as administrative law judges. Establishes standards of conduct for administrative law judges of the Department of Employment Security. Provides that an administrative law judge, whether full time or intermittent, whether scheduled or nonscheduled, shall not serve as a member of the Board of Review. Provides that an administrative law judge shall report to the Director of Employment Security any suspected violations of the standards of conduct. Provides that an administrative law judge shall be discharged for the repeated violation of any of the standards of conduct or the violation of any of those standards in conjunction with the simultaneous or previous violation of any other of those standards.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning jury trials.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical changes in a Section concerning standards of payment of skilled nursing and intermediate care services.

Amends the Chicago Park District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section creating the Chicago Park District.

Amends the Illinois Banking Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the primary powers of banks.