Sen. Patricia Van Pelt

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 and the Unified Code of Corrections. Eliminates mandatory sentences of natural life imprisonment for persons convicted of offenses committed before they attain 18 years of age. Provides that on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, when a person was under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of an offense, the court, at the sentencing hearing, shall consider specified factors in determining the appropriate sentence and be given greater discretion in determining an appropriate sentence.

Amends the School Code. Authorizes the State Superintendent of Education to use moneys in the institute fund and the State Board of Education to use funds available in the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund to support the recruitment and retention of educators, to support educator preparation programs as they seek national accreditation, and to provide professional development; specifies dedication of moneys. Makes changes concerning a provisional educator or career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations, a Substitute Teaching License, a general administrative endorsement on a Professional Educator License, out-of-state applicants and applicants trained in another country receiving a Professional Educator License, and professional development activities. Provides that an Educator License with Stipulations with only a paraprofessional endorsement does not lapse. Removes the requirement that an alternative educator licensure program for teachers or a principal preparation program offered by a not-for-profit entity be approved by the Board of Higher Education. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for revocation of a license, adds the offense of unauthorized video recording and live video transmission (under certain circumstances) to the definition of "sex offense". Makes changes concerning the training of teachers to teach physical education and safety education. Effective July 1, 2015.

Amends Public Acts 98-679, 98-680, and 98-681. Adds supplemental appropriations to various agencies for personal services and State contributions to Social Security. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Robert Earl Johnson of Chicago.

Mourns the death of Alexis DeSean Taylor, Sr.

Mourns the death of Levada Johns of Chicago.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for the issuance of St. Ignatius College Prep special license plates for passenger vehicles of the first division, motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds, and motorcycles. Provides that, in addition to the appropriate registration fees, an applicant for the special plates shall be charged a fee of $15 at original issuance and $2 at each renewal. Provides that the additional fees shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund.

Amends the Film Production Services Tax Credit Act of 2008. Removes a provision excluding industrial, corporate, or institutional productions from the definition of "accredited production". Provides that the term "Illinois production spending" includes compensation paid to performing artists. Defines "performing artist". Provides that the term "Illinois labor expenditure" includes the first $1,000,000 of wages paid to or incurred in connection with the employment of each performing artist, except that, if the performing artist is not an Illinois resident, the first $100,000 of wages paid to that performing artist shall be excluded. Effective immediately.

Appropriates specified amounts to the Department of Human Services for income assistance and related distributive purposes for the Home Services Program and for Rehabilitation Services Bureaus. Effective July 1, 2013.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may purchase services and materials associated with the costs of developing, implementing, and maintaining (rather than developing and implementing) a data warehouse comprised of management and decision making information in regard to the liability associated with, and utilization of, medical and related services, out of moneys available for that purpose. Removes a provision requiring the Department to perform all necessary administrative functions to expand its linearly-scalable data warehouse to encompass other healthcare data sources at both the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health, and to supply quarterly reports to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability detailing progress toward this mandate. Removes language that (i) required the departments of Healthcare and Family Services, Public Health, and Human Services and the Division of Specialized Care for Children to jointly prepare a work plan for fully integrating specified data sets into the medical data warehouse by September 1, 2009 and (ii) required the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to submit status reports on the progress of these and other specified efforts to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than October 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010, with a final report due no later than November 1, 2010. Effective immediately.