Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that a person automatically qualifies for a crossbow hunting permit if the person has a permanent or irreversible physical impairment that renders the person unable to ambulate without the use of a wheelchair. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Restores the imposition and collection of the tax to its status prior to June 20, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-30). Effective immediately.
Amends the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Reinstates the Illinois Farm Development Act repealed by Public Act 93-205, which created the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act, the Rural Diversification Act, the Emergency Farm Credit Allocation Act, the Build Illinois Act, the Livestock Management Facilities Act, and the Illinois Forestry Development Act to effect the reinstatement. Amends the Illinois Farm Development Act. Provides that to be eligible for certain State guarantees, a farmer must be a principal operator of a farm or land, at least 30% (instead of 50%) of whose annual income is derived from farming and whose debt to asset ratio shall not exceed the maximum limit established by the Illinois Farm Development Authority (instead of "shall not be less than 40%"). Provides that State guarantees under certain programs shall not exceed $1,000,000 (instead of $500,000). Provides that the collateral acceptable to the Authority must be at least equal to the gross loan amount (instead of "at least equal to the State's portion of the Guarantee to be provided"). Deletes a provision that to be eligible for State guarantees, a farmer's net worth may not exceed $500,000. Deletes a provision stating that a lender may not withdraw a State guarantee if the loan contract provides for an interest rate that may vary. Changes the name of the "Young Farmer Loan Guarantee Program" to the "Illinois Farmer Loan Guarantee Program". Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Illinois Finance Authority must maintain the level of bond funding for all functions and programs that were operated under the Illinois Farm Development Act and the Rural Bond Bank Act that existed before the Illinois Finance Authority assumed the rights, powers, and duties of the Illinois Farm Development Authority and the Rural Bond Bank. Effective immediately.
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that if the receipt of a firearm does not violate federal or State law, the Department of State Police shall destroy all records of the dial up telephone system with respect to the call to the Department of State Police concerning whether a transferee of a firearm is eligible to acquire or possess a firearm, other than the identifying number and the date the number was assigned, and all records of the system relating to the person or the transfer within 24 hours. Provides that if the transfer of a firearm is denied by the Department of State Police, the Department of State Police may keep the records of a denial until the denial is appealed and overturned, or as long as necessary for a criminal prosecution. Provides that the Department of State Police may not retain, copy, or distribute any information previously collected under the dial up system. Effective immediately.
Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act and various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Provides that no public university or community college attendance policy or attendance policy of a faculty member thereof may in any way penalize a student who is a volunteer emergency worker for absence from class caused by the performance of his or her duties as a volunteer emergency worker. Amends the Volunteer Fire Protection Association Act. Provides that no public university or community college attendance policy or attendance policy of a faculty member thereof may in any way penalize a student who is a volunteer fire protection association member for absence from class caused by the performance of his or her duties as a volunteer fire protection association member. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Library District Act of 1991. Provides that the Sections in the Act that authorize the annexation of territory are each an independent authorization for the annexation of contiguous territory. Provides that a library district may annex territory by ordinance if that territory is located within the boundaries of a municipality or school district that is included within the district (now, the district may annex the territory if the municipality or school district has annexed or otherwise includes the territory within its boundaries). Deletes a provision that the annexation ordinance must recite the prior annexation or other inclusion of the territory by the municipality or school district. Provides that if, before the effective date of this amendatory Act, a district has annexed territory and that annexation complies with the statutory requirements, as changed by this amendatory Act, then, for all purposes, that annexation is validated, ratified, and declared to be in full force and effect from the date on which the district completed its annexation of the territory. Makes technical changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district that offers a secondary agricultural education program that is eligible for State and federal funding must ensure that, at a minimum, the following are available to its secondary agricultural education students: (1) an instructional sequence of courses approved by the State Board of Education; (2) a State and nationally affiliated FFA chapter that is integral to instruction and is not treated as an extracurricular activity; and (3) a mechanism for ensuring the involvement of all secondary agricultural education students in formal, supervised, agricultural-experience activities and programs.
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the offense of pandering.
