Sen. Todd Sieben

Amends the Riverboat Gambling Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning prohibited activities.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that a unit of local government, including a home rule unit, may not regulate the transportation of firearms and may not regulate the transportation of ammunition, components, accessories, or accoutrements for firearms. Provides that the provisions of any ordinance or resolution adopted before, on, or after the effective date of this amendatory Act by any unit of local government that imposes restrictions or limitations on the transportation of firearms and ammunition, components, accessories, and accoutrements of firearms in a manner other than those that are imposed by this amendatory Act are invalid and all those existing ordinances and resolutions are void. Provides that this provision is a limitation of home rule powers under subsection (h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution. Effective immediately.

Amends the Premises Liability Act. Provides that the immunity for an owner or operator of a firearm range extends to the owner or operator of a range in which an occupied permanent dwelling on adjacent property was built within 1,000 yards from an area of the range from which a firearm may be properly discharged if the dwelling was built after the range began its operation. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois AgrAbility Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the University of Illinois Extension, shall contract with a non-profit disability service provider or other entity that assists disabled farmers, to establish and administer the Illinois AgrAbility Program in order to assist individuals who are engaged in farming or an agriculture-related activity and who have been affected by disability. Sets forth services to be provided by the Illinois AgrAbility Program. Sets forth eligibility requirements for the Program. Creates the Illinois AgrAbility Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury and, subject to appropriation, provides that moneys in the Fund may be expended for the Illinois AgrAbility Program and for no other purpose. Requires the University of Illinois Extension to submit certain documents to the Department of Agriculture. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois AgrAbility Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that any person who does not possess a non-resident fur buyer permit must obtain a non-resident auction participation permit to deal in green hides at auctions. Sets fees. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and the Department of Natural Resources Act. Requires the Department of Natural Resources as soon as practicable to assign a customer identification number to each applicant for a hunting or fishing license. Provides that after the applicant has been assigned a customer identification number, the applicant may use that customer identification number in place of his or her social security number on any subsequent application for a hunting or fishing license. Requires the Department to keep a record of the social security number of each applicant and to notify each applicant that his or her social security number is kept on file with the Department. Provides that a licensee's social security number shall not appear on the face of his or her hunting or fishing license.

Amends the Illinois Health Finance Reform Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health must require ambulatory surgical treatment centers licensed to operate in the State of Illinois to adopt a uniform system, based on certain federal laws, for submitting patient charges for payment from public and private payors. Provides that no later than 60 days after the end of each calendar quarter, each hospital and ambulatory surgical treatment center must submit billing data to the Department and sets forth information that must be included in the submission (now, hospitals must submit billing data for conditions and procedures required for public disclosure in the "Consumer Guide to Health Care" and for all inpatient surgical cases). Requires the Department to collect and compile the billing data on a quarterly basis. Sets forth additional information that must be included in the "Consumer Guide to Health Care". Requires that ambulatory surgical treatment centers, organizations representing ambulatory surgical treatment centers, purchasers, consumer groups, and health plans be meaningfully involved in the development of all aspects of the Department's methodology for collecting, analyzing, and disclosing the information collected under this Act. Requires the Department to evaluate additional methods for comparing the performance of hospitals and ambulatory surgical treatment centers and report its findings and recommendations on its Internet website and to the Governor and General Assembly no later than January 1, 2006. Requires the Department to study methods to collect and report data on mortality and nosocomial infection rates from hospitals and ambulatory surgical treatment centers for outpatient services and report its findings and recommendations on its Internet website and to the Governor and General Assembly no later than January 1, 2006. Requires the Department to authorize electronic access to patient billing data collected pursuant to these provisions for use by certain entities. Requires ambulatory surgical treatment centers to make available to prospective patients information on the normal charge incurred for any procedure or operation the prospective patient is considering. Requires the Department to adopt rules for inpatient and outpatient data collection and reporting no later than January 1, 2006. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Payday Loan Reform Act. Provides that the Division of Financial Institutions of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall license and regulate entities that offer payday loans (loans under which a lender accepts a post-dated check, authorization to debit a consumer's bank account, or an interest in a consumer's wages as security for the loan). Establishes requirements and restrictions applicable to license applications and licensing. Contains provisions regarding: limitations, requirements, and disclosures applicable to loan agreements, terms of loans, finance charges, and renewal of loans; revocation, suspension, and surrender of licenses; information to be available to the public; complaint handling; hearings; books and records; reports; advertising; prohibited acts; bonding; administrative rules; and other matters. Amends the Financial Institutions Code to provide for the administration of the Payday Loan Reform Act. Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act to provide that the Act does not apply to payday loans. Provides that a violation of the Payday Loan Reform Act constitutes a violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. In certain non-home rule taxing districts in which the voters have approved a referendum making the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law applicable, exempts from the extension limitation those extensions made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued before July 1, 2005 by any school district on the State Board of Education's Financial Warning List for the purpose of financing a retrofit program to replace steam pipes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Consumer Choice of Benefits Health Insurance Plan Act. Contains only a short title provision.