Sen. Gary Forby

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that a person may not operate, provide, sell, use, or offer to operate, provide, sell, or use any computer software or service that allows a person not physically present at the hunt site to remotely control a weapon that could be used to take wildlife by remote operation, including, but not limited to, weapons or devices set up to fire through the use of the Internet or through a remote control device. Provides that a violation is a Class B misdemeanor. Provides that a person who facilitates the use of software or services to hunt by remote control is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a board of education may enter into a contract with a third party for non-instructional services currently performed by an employee or bargaining unit member or lay off those educational support personnel employees upon 90 (instead of 30) days written notice. Adds conditions on the entering of such a contract, including providing that: (1) a contract must not be entered into during the term of a collective bargaining agreement; (2) any third party that submits a bid to perform the services shall provide comparable liability insurance, a comparable benefits package, a list of the number of employees who will provide the services and the wages the third party will pay those employees, a minimum 3-year cost projection, and information about the criminal and disciplinary records of the employees; (3) a contract must not be entered into unless the school board provides a cost comparison; (4) a minimum of 2 public hearings to discuss the school board's proposal to contract with a third party must be held; (5) a contract shall contain provisions requiring the contractor to offer available employee positions pursuant to the contract to qualified school district employees whose employment is terminated because of the contract; and (6) a contract shall contain provisions requiring the contractor to comply with a policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides for Medicaid eligibility for persons who (i) are age 60 or older, (ii) have an ongoing need for medical services for the monitoring or treatment of a chronic condition, without which institutionalization would be necessary, and (iii) have income and resources that are equal to or less than the monthly maintenance allowance and resource allowance amounts for a community spouse as set forth in the Social Security Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act and the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force. Sets out the composition of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall develop a plan for expanding and supporting a State local and organic food system and for assessing and overcoming obstacles to an increase in locally grown food and local organic food production. Sets out the contents of the plan. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Local Organic Food and Farm Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to develop an agricultural education teacher training continuum and to provide incentive funding grants to the agriculture education teacher education programs located at Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University, the University of Illinois, and Western Illinois University. Provides that public community colleges in this State that provide an articulated agriculture education teacher education course of study are also eligible for funding. Sets forth the types of activities for which funds may be used.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Requires the Department on Aging to gather information about the special needs of older rural residents and to evaluate the adequacy and accessibility of existing programs for older rural residents. Creates the Older Rural Adults Task Force to gather information and make recommendations. Sets forth the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force may hold regional hearings and shall submit a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2009. Provides that the Task Force shall be dissolved upon the submission of the report. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Fund in the State treasury. Provides for the issuance of Agriculture in the Classroom license plates. Provides that in addition to the appropriate registration fees, an applicant for the special plate shall be charged a fee of $40 at original issuance and $27 renewal in subsequent years. Provides that $25 of the additional original issuance fee and the renewal fee shall be deposited into the Agriculture in the Classroom Fund. Provides that $15 of the original issuance fee and $2 of the renewal fee shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. Provides that, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and approval by the Secretary of State, all moneys in the Agriculture in the Classroom Fund shall be paid as grants to the Illinois Agricultural Association Foundation to support Agriculture in the Classroom programming for schools. Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that the tax exemptions for certain registered horses, or interests in horses, that are used for purposes of breeding or racing are exempt from the Acts' sunset provisions and the exemptions apply for all periods beginning May 30, 1995, but no claim for credit or refund is allowed for such taxes paid during the period beginning May 30, 2000 and ending on the effective date of this amendatory Act.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund shall establish the maximum amount of reinsurance available per residence, commercial building, and living unit for mine subsidence insurance. Provides that, for all policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2008, the reinsured loss per residence, per commercial building, and per living unit shall be the amounts established by the Fund and approved by the Director (now, the reinsured loss shall not exceed $350,000 per residence, $350,000 per commercial building, or $15,000 per living unit).

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.