Sen. Chapin Rose

Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 of the Public Utilities Act. Extends the mandatory transition period from January 1, 2007, to March 1, 2007. Creates an electric rate task force to study the impact of electric rates on residential customers for the period of time subsequent to the mandatory transition period. Requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations for legislative action to the General Assembly on or before February 1, 2007. Effective immediately.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that a minor who has been adjudicated delinquent and made a ward of the court may be placed in a juvenile detention home for a period not to exceed 30 days if the minor is at least 10 years of age and under 21 years of age. Provides that the court may sentence a delinquent minor who has attained 17 years of age to confinement in a county jail. Provides that the court may sentence a minor who is at least 17 years of age and who has violated the terms of his or her probation to a county jail for a period of time not to exceed 6 months.

Amends the State Finance Act. Excludes moneys received by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Illinois Credit Union Act from those moneys required to be deposited into the Financial Institution Fund. Makes certain provisions concerning transfers to the General Revenue Fund inapplicable to (i) any fund established under the Illinois Credit Union Act, the Illinois Banking Act, the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, or the Savings Bank Act and (ii) the Professions Indirect Cost Fund. Limits transfers and expenditures from those funds to specified purposes. Prohibits the allocation or transfer of additional amounts generated by certain fee increases with respect to or from the Credit Union Fund. Amends the Illinois Banking Act, the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, and the Savings Bank Act. With respect to the moneys in each of the Bank and Trust Company Fund, the Savings and Residential Finance Regulatory Fund, and the Credit Union Fund, (i) exempts those moneys from assignment or transfer except for unappropriated administrative expenses and (ii) provides that the moneys remain the property of and must be held in trust for the financial institutions from which they were collected. For FY08, requires the Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate (now, the Director of the Division of Banks and Real Estate) to adopt rules to adjust regulatory fee rates in the specified manner. Amends the Illinois Credit Union Act. Provides that the regulatory fee paid by a credit union to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall be the lesser of (i) the rate pursuant to the regulatory fee schedule or (ii) a rate established in a manner proportionately consistent with the rates in the regulatory fee schedule and that would fund the actual administrative and operational expenses of the Credit Union Section. Increases rates in the regulatory fee schedule for credit unions with total assets over $5,000,000. Requires the Director of Financial and Professional Regulation to adjust the fee schedule for the next fiscal year. Provides that the fee schedule may be increased by no more than 5% annually if necessary to defray the actual (now, estimated) administrative and operational expenses of the Credit Union Section (now, the Department). Prohibits any increase in the fee schedule if the amount remaining in the Credit Union Fund at the end of the fiscal year is equal to or greater than 25% of the actual administrative and operational expenses for the preceding fiscal year. Requires the Director to base the regulatory fee for the next fiscal year on the credit union's total assets as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year. Beginning on July 1, 2005, requires a credit union to pay the regulatory fee in quarterly installments due and payable on the due date for the call report for the preceding quarter (now, a credit union is required to pay the regulatory fee in full no later than March 1 of each calendar year). Provides for a regulatory fee cap of $125,000 (now, $187,500). Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employee Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that any person who (i) is currently a member of a reciprocal system, (ii) has rendered contractual services to a member of the General Assembly as a worker in the member's district office, and (iii) applies to the System on or before October 1, 2005 may establish creditable service for up to 6 years of those contractual services by making the required contributions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act. Defines "Off-Lot Discharging Private Sewage Disposal System". Provides that every owner of an off-lot discharging private sewage disposal systems must file a "Notice of Intent" with the Department of Public Health to allow coverage of the system under the blanket National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit of the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Eliminates a provision from the Section concerning the admissibility of prior statements of a witness who is deceased that any prior statement that is sought to be admitted into evidence must have been made by the declarant under oath at a trial, hearing, or other proceeding.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Requires the court to consider whether one of the parents is a sex offender in determining the best interest of the child for custody and visitation purposes.

Creates the Clean-Coal Project Indemnification Act. Requires the Attorney General to appear and defend an operator of a clean-coal project in civil proceedings commenced against the operator arising from the escape or migration of injected carbon dioxide. Sets forth requirements and procedures for the representation. Requires the State to indemnify the operator unless the conduct or inaction that gave rise to the claim or cause of action was intentional, wilful, or wanton misconduct. Effective immediately.

Amends the Drug Court Treatment Act. Creates the Statewide Drug Court Planning Commission consisting of judges, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, drug treatment professionals, drug court professionals, legislators, and representatives from counties that have drug courts. Provides that the Commission shall create a plan to implement a statewide system of drug courts and to plan for the creation of multi-county drug courts for smaller counties. Provides that the Commission shall submit its plan to the Governor and General Assembly no later than February 1, 2007. Provides that within 30 days after submitting its plan to the Governor and General Assembly, the Commission shall be dissolved. Effective immediately.