Congratulates the Knights of Columbus Mattoon Council No. 1057 on the occasion of the organization's 100th anniversary.
Amends the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act. Allows the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Board to establish conditions and procedures under which the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan may discount or subsidize premiums for unemployed or retired coal miners who are federally eligible and whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004, and to accept funds appropriated for this purpose. Allows unemployed or retired coal miners who are federally eligible and whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004 to be eligible for the Plan even though their premiums may be discounted or subsidized. Requires federally eligible unemployed or retired coal miners whose employer-provided health insurance coverage was terminated on September 28, 2004 to pay the discounted or subsidized premiums established by the Board. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Requires the court to determine whether counseling is appropriate for a child who is involved in a custody proceeding. Authorizes the court to order counseling and apportion the cost between the parties.
Amends the Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to encourage owners of land to make land and water areas available to any individual or, on state-owned or managed lands and waters, members of the public (rather than to the public) for recreational or conservation purposes by limiting their liability toward persons entering thereon for such purposes. Provides that residential buildings are not included in the definition of "land". Changes the definition of "recreational or conservation purpose" to include hunting, hiking, recreational shooting, operation of an off-highway vehicle, rock climbing, trapping, horseback riding of an entrant's own horse or horses, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, water or snow skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling. Effective immediately.
Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and maintain a program devoted to encouraging the rapid establishment of businesses and employers in business parks by developing standards for the development, location, and maintenance of business parks in the State and by certifying business parks that meet or exceed those standards. Requires the Department to advertise the business park certification program. Effective on January 1, 2006.
Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall establish a grant program to encourage farmers to add additives to anhydrous ammonia for the purpose of acting as a marking agent, leak detector, and theft detector to prevent the use of anhydrous ammonia in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, and to add additives to anhydrous ammonia that render it inert for the purposes of methamphetamine production. Provides that the Department shall determine the eligibility of applicants for grants under this program. Provides that subject to appropriations made for this purpose by the General Assembly, the Department shall award grants to eligible farmers in accordance with rules adopted by the Department. Effective July 1, 2005.
Amends the Downstate Police and IMRF Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Authorizes a member of a downstate police fund who has up to 8 years of creditable service under IMRF to transfer his or her service credit under IMRF to that downstate police fund. Authorizes a member of IMRF who has up to 8 years of creditable service in a fund under the Downstate Police Article to transfer his or her service credit under that downstate police fund to IMRF. Provides that if the amount transferred under this amendatory Act is less than the true cost to the receiving pension fund of allowing that creditable service to be established, then the amount of creditable service the person may establish under this amendatory Act shall be reduced by a corresponding amount. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that blue oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights are prohibited if lighted (rather than whether lighted or unlighted), except on specified vehicles.
Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act. Creates the Vince Demuzio Memorial Colon Cancer Research Fund and provides that, from appropriations from the Fund, the Department of Public Health must make grants to public or private entities in Illinois for the purpose of funding research applicable to colon cancer patients. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to create a tax checkoff for the Fund.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Authorizes any gas utility to enter into a long-term contract with any company for synthetic natural gas produced from coal through the gasification process. Provides guidelines for determining if the cost for the synthetic natural gas is reasonable and prudent and recoverable through the purchased gas adjustment clause.
