Sen. John O. Jones

Amends the River Conservancy Districts Act and the Election Code. Provides for election, rather than appointment, of 7 trustees in certain districts that encompass 2 counties and have at least 3 municipalities each with a population of 5,000 or more. Provides for their nonpartisan election at the election in 2006 and at each subsequent consolidated election. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that a person who falsely represents himself or herself to be a public officer or a public employee commits a Class A (rather than a Class B) misdemeanor. Provides that if the false representation is made in furtherance of the commission of a felony, the penalty for a violation of this provision is a Class 4 felony.

Amends the Illinois Hunting Heritage Protection Act. Provides that land management decisions of the Department of Natural Resources may not, to the extent practical, result in any net loss of habitat (now, land acreage) available for hunting opportunities. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that only scores on State assessments of students enrolled in a school on or before the last school day in September of the school year in which a State assessment is given shall be used in determining whether a school is placed on academic early warning status or academic watch status. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Exempts the Underground Storage Tank Fund from the Act's administrative charge-back provisions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Family and Personal Protection Act. Establishes statewide uniform standards for the issuance of permits to carry concealed firearms in this State. Vests in the Department of State Police, the authority to issue concealed firearms permits to qualified applicants. Requires an applicant to complete a training course in handgun use, safety, and marksmanship. Also requires instruction in the law relating to firearm use. Requires an applicant to be at least 21 years of age. Prohibits an applicant who has been convicted of a felony or has a history of mental illness, addiction, or habitual alcohol use from obtaining a permit. Creates the Citizen Safety and Self-Defense Trust Fund administered by the Department. The moneys in the Fund shall be used to administer the Act. Establishes restrictions on carrying concealed firearms. Establishes standards for the training course and for certifying instructors. Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that the Family and Personal Protection Act supersedes an ordinance of a unit of local government inconsistent with that Act. Prohibits a home rule unit from regulating the issuance of permits to carry concealed firearms. Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Exempts from an unlawful use of weapons and aggravated unlawful use of weapons violation, persons who carry or possess firearms in accordance with the Family and Personal Protection Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that beginning January 1, 2007, the Department shall pay an additional $1.33 per hour of chore/housekeeping and homemaker service performed by a chore/housekeeping and homemaker service provider vendor to all vendors who certify that they will offer health insurance to all qualifying employees, and their dependents. Requires the amount of funding, for years after 2007, to be adjusted by the amount of which the medical component of the Consumer Price Index exceeds such component for the previous calendar year. Defines a qualifying employee as an employee that provides over 100 hours of chore/housekeeping and homemaker services per month for 3 consecutive months. Requires that chore/housekeeping and homemaker service provider vendors must certify that 50% of their workforce is eligible for coverage as a qualifying employee. Provides that the Department must set minimum standards for a qualifying health plan by rule. Sets forth that provider vendors who fail to offer coverage to all qualifying employees shall be subject to penalties up to and including the requirement to return all moneys paid under this paragraph by the State as prescribed by Department rule.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for the issuance of Iraq Campaign and Afghanistan Campaign license plates, respectively, to persons who have earned the Iraq Campaign Medal or the Afghanistan Campaign Medal from the U.S. Armed Forces. Provides that the applicant shall pay an additional fee of $15 for original issuance of the plates, to be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. Effective immediately.

Creates the Gun-free Zone Criminal Conduct Liability Act. Provides that any person, organization, or entity or any agency of government, including any unit of local government, that creates a gun-free zone is liable for all costs, attorney's fees, and treble damages resulting from criminal conduct that occurs against an individual in the gun-free zone, if a reasonable person would believe that possession of a firearm could have helped the individual defend against such conduct. Defines "gun-free zone". Effective immediately.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the purpose of the Act.