Sen. Linda Holmes

Creates the Illinois Vacant and Abandoned Properties Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Mourns the death of United States Army Private First Class Andrew N. Meari of Plainfield.

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Sets forth disclosure requirements for any dog or cat made available for adoption or sale by an animal shelter, animal control facility, or pet shop operator, including adoptions or sales available over the internet. Sets forth certain requirements concerning an acknowledgement of disclosures form which must be signed by the customer or adopter and the pet shop operator or authorized representative of the animal shelter or animal control facility. Makes other changes. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any person who knowingly violates the disclosure requirements for a pet shop operator who sells a dog or cat under the Animal Welfare Act commits an unlawful practice. Effective January 1, 2011.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning justification in the use of force against another person in defense of a dwelling.

Amends the School Code. Provides that no district is obligated to comply with any statutory or regulatory mandate or requirement unless a separate appropriation has been enacted into law providing funding for the school year during which such mandate is required. Contains provisions concerning discontinuing or modifying an activity to meet specified requirements. Provides that specified provisions do not apply to special education, transportation, or lunch programs, or coursework required for high school graduation. Effective immediately.

Amends the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Act. Provides that a public utility may receive a deduction against income subject to State taxes for (i) a contribution to a designated zone organization for costs of installing, replacing, modifying, removing, improving, or maintaining any substation facility located within the River Edge Redevelopment Zone or (ii) the costs incurred by the public utility of installing, replacing, modifying, improving, or maintaining any substation facility located within the River Edge Redevelopment Zone if the project for which the costs are incurred has been specifically approved by the designating municipality and by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Provides that a public utility shall recover the costs of installing, replacing, modifying, improving, removing, or maintaining its facilities located within the River Edge Redevelopment Zone across all customers in its service territory. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop and maintain a nutrition and physical activity best practices database. Provides that the database shall contain the results of any wellness-related fitness testing done by local school districts, as well as information on successful programs and policies implemented by local school districts designed to improve nutrition and physical activity in the public and charter schools. Provides that the information may include (i) a description of the program or policy, (ii) advice on implementation, (iii) any assessment of the program or policy, (iv) a contact person from the local school district, and (v) any other information the State Board of Education deems appropriate. Provides that the database shall be readily accessible to all local school districts Statewide. Provides that the State Board of Education shall encourage local school districts to submit information to the database, however no school district shall be required to submit information. Provides that the State Board of Education may adopt rules necessary for administration of the database. Effective July 1, 2010.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services, in cooperation with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to develop and implement a streamlined auditing and accreditation system to reduce the need for community providers to undergo audits from multiple licensing or accreditation systems. Provides that the streamlined system shall, to the extent possible, utilize one auditing group to provide uniformity from one organization to the next and from one year to the next.

Amends the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Provides that the information packet given to a relinquishing parent in accordance with the Act shall not exceed 5 pages and shall include, in addition to other required information, a one-page brochure (self-mailer) that describes the Safe Haven Law; a one-page brochure (self-mailer) that describes the Illinois Adoption Registry; and a one-page brochure describing health information for the mother and how she can get medical care if she needs it. Requires the information packet to be designed in coordination between the Office of Vital Records and the Department of Children and Family Services. Requires the Office of Vital Records to continue to maintain and distribute the information packet, and to hold on file all foundling records of relinquished newborns. Effective immediately.