Creates the Illinois Opportunity Scholarship Act to be administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Provides for the award, beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year, of undergraduate scholarships, renewable for up to 4 years, for use at institutions of higher education located in the State. Establishes criteria for the initial award and for renewal of the scholarships. Provides that the annual amount of a scholarship shall be equal to the tuition and mandatory fees for a full-time undergraduate student at the institution of higher education at which the scholarship recipient is enrolled, not to exceed the equivalent expense for such a full-time undergraduate, in-state student at the University of Illinois, plus a $200 book allowance. Effective January 1, 2004.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Township Code. Provides that a township may levy a tax for the purpose of providing facilities or services for the benefit of certain residents who have developmental disabilities by the following procedures: (1) by certification of the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition at an election under the general election law (which is the current law); or (2) by adopting an ordinance or resolution levying the tax and causing the ordinance or resolution to be published with certain information included. Provides that, when a township adopts the levy by ordinance or resolution, any taxpayer in the township may, within 30 days after publication, file with the township clerk a petition signed by 10% or more of the registered voters in the county, requesting the submission of a referendum to voters in the county. Provides that, when a levy is adopted by resolution or ordinance, the town clerk must provide a petition form to anyone requesting one and, if no valid petition is filed or the proposition is approved at referendum, the tax levy is authorized. Provides that, under either method, the tax may be in excess of the rate for other township purposes. Effective immediately.
Creates the Teacher Homebuyer Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority to establish and administer a program to provide down payment assistance to public school teachers who teach in low-performing challenge schools for purchasing residences within the school district. Provides that the assistance shall be in the form of a deferred payment, low-interest subordinate mortgage loan with a term not longer than the term of the first mortgage loan, with interest accruing at a rate of up to 5% per annum. Provides that if the borrower has continuously been a teacher for the 5-year period immediately following the date of recordation of the loan deed of trust, then repayment of the loan shall be forgiven and considered a grant. Provides that repayment of the principal and accrued interest is due and payable upon the occurrence of certain events.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning child care for TANF recipients, provides that beginning July 1, 2004, the rates paid by the Department of Human Services to all providers of child care services who are licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 shall be increased by an amount equal to 2% of the rates in effect on June 30, 2004. Effective July 1, 2004.
Amends the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. Defines the term "catastrophic injury" as an injury or disability (1) that is so severe that the injured employee is unemployable in any capacity or (2) that, when taken into account in combination with the injured employee's age, skills, training, and work history, makes the injured employee unable to perform any services for which there is a reasonably stable job market.
Creates the Youth Service Scholarship Act. Establishes the Youth Service Scholarship Program, to be administered by the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. Provides that the Program shall be made available to consortia of school districts and community-based organizations who then select pupils to earn scholarships while they are enrolled in any of grades 9 through 12 in a public school. Provides that, upon completion of 100 hours of volunteer community service performed between September 1 of one year and August 31 of the next year, a pupil shall earn a $500 scholarship. Provides that the pupil may redeem the scholarship if the pupil enrolls in a private or public postsecondary or vocational institution in this State. Requires the Commission to submit to the General Assembly a study of the efficacy of the Program by July 1, 2007. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2009. Effective immediately.
Creates the West Suburban Exposition and Sports Facility Act. Contains only the short title.
Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging by providing that, beginning July 1, 2004, vendors of homemaker, chore, and housekeeping services shall receive a rate increase of $1.16 per hour if at least $0.86 of that increase is used to increase the wages of homemakers and chore housekeepers. Provides that vendors receiving this increase must submit proof to the Department, either (i) by a an audited supplemental to the Direct Service Workers cost report or (ii) by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, that they have increased homemakers' and chore housekeepers' wages by $0.86 per hour. Effective on July 1, 2004.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Makes various changes authorizing a municipality to take certain remedial measures and to obtain a court order in relation to the publicly-owned property surrounding dangerous and unsafe or uncompleted or abandoned buildings and the property on which those buildings are located. Includes the beneficial owner of an Illinois land trust that is the record owner of such property among those against whom the municipality may obtain or enforce an action for reimbursement of the costs of remedial measures taken by the municipality. Provides that those costs include statutory interest from the date the costs are incurred or the work is completed, whichever is later. Makes various changes concerning the collection and accrual of interest on liens for the costs and expenses of remedial action by the municipality and the process by which the municipality may obtain a court order authorizing the remedial action and requiring that certain parties reimburse the municipality for the costs and expenses of taking that action. Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that all liens for the costs and expenses of the remedial action are reimbursable municipal advancements and that such liens that are not paid or waived render a tax deed void in a tax proceeding. Makes other changes.
Recognizes the contributions to the State of Illinois made by African-American legislators.