Rep. Michelle Chavez

Amends the IMRF Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the prohibition on return to service after accepting early retirement benefits applies only to (1) employment for which the person is required (or is allowed and has elected) to participate in the Fund and (2) contractual personal services which, if performed as an employee, would require the employee to participate in the Fund. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Care Savings Account Act of 2000. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning programs established under a prior Act.

Amends the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act. Provides that a home rule unit of local government or any municipality in this State may regulate smoking in public places. Provides that this regulation must be no less restrictive than the regulation in the Act. Changes the home rule limitation from an absolute preemption to a limitation on the concurrent exercise of home rule power. Maintains the exemption from home rule requirements for home rule units that passed ordinances regulating smoking before October 1, 1989. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.

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 Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that a school administrator who has reasonable cause to believe that a child known to him or her in his or her official capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child and who fails to immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Department of Children and Family Services is guilty of a Class 4 felony (instead of a Class A misdemeanor) for a first offense and a Class 3 felony (instead of a Class 4 felony) for a second or subsequent offense. Effective immediately.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that an Applicant may qualify for tax credits if the Applicant has 100 or fewer employees and is located or will locate in a county for which the annual unemployment rate was at least 1% higher than the average annual statewide unemployment rate during the most recent year for which those statistics are available from the Department of Employment Security, the project will involve an investment of at least $500,000 in capital improvements to be placed in service, and the project will employ at least 2 New Employees within the State as a direct result of the project. Effective immediately.

Creates the Nurse Licensure Compact Act. Allows for reciprocity of licensure of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses among the states. Provides for administration of the Compact by the Nursing Act Coordinator. Provides that the licensing board shall participate in a Compact Evaluation Initiative designed to evaluate the effectiveness and operability of the Compact. Provides that the Compact does not relieve employers from complying with statutorily imposed obligations. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Amends the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act to make changes relating to the purposes of the Compact.

Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, no tax shall be imposed under those Acts upon the privilege of using in this State (for the Use Tax Act) or persons engaged in the business of selling at retail (for the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act) certain household appliances that (i) qualify as an "Energy Star" product under the federal Energy Star Program; and (ii) are purchased from 12:01 a.m. on April 22 of 2006 or 2007 through 11:59 p.m. of April 28 of that same year. Authorizes and encourages units of local government that impose use and occupation taxes to declare a similar tax holiday. Effective immediately.

Amends the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Repeals a provision that repeals the Act on July 1, 2007.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Allows an income tax credit for each individual taxpayer who is a teacher teaching in a school in Illinois. Provides that the amount of the credit is equal to the eligible classroom expenses made by the taxpayer during the taxable year, but the credit may not exceed $500. Defines "eligible classroom expenses" as the aggregate amount of nonreimbursed classroom expenses made by the taxpayer during the taxable year less $250. Provides that the credit may not be carried forward or back and may not reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. Effective immediately.