Rep. Lovana Jones

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Makes a technical change in a Section defining "Associate Procurement Officers".

Congratulates the Abraham Lincoln Centre on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

Amends the Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Appropriates $1,000,000, or so much of that amount as may be necessary, from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Department of Public Health for sarcoidosis research grants. Effective July 1, 2005.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Prohibits the Illinois Student Assistance Commission from denying student financial assistance to a person solely because the person is unable to furnish his or her parents' Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, if the person has a legitimate reason for why he or she is unable to furnish a copy of the W-2 form. Requires the Commission to review each such situation to determine if the reason is legitimate. Provides that on the application for student financial assistance, the Commission must provide an area on the application for a person to explain why the person is unable to furnish a copy of his or her parents' W-2 form.

Amends the Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Supreme Court Campaign Reform Act. Provides that candidates for the Supreme Court may apply for a public financing benefit in connection with their campaign. Sets the amount of the public financing benefit at $750,000 for the general primary and general election cycle. Sets requirements for qualifying for the public financing benefits. Limits the amount of private contributions qualified candidates may accept. Limits the amounts that non-participating candidates may accept from private sources during campaign periods to $1,000 in the aggregate. Provides that qualified candidates must be distributed a line of credit from the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund to be used for lawful political expenditures. Provides for the increase of the line of credit if non-complying candidates make certain expenditures. Sets penalties for violations of the Act. Provides that the Illinois Supreme Court may require attorneys to contribute money to the Fund not to exceed $25 annually. Contains other provisions. Amends the Election Code. Provides that a payment for electioneering communications is an "expenditure". Provides that a group that "accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 for the purpose of electioneering communications" is a political committee. Allows the Board of Elections to impose a fine against a committee that fails to report expenditures that could trigger matching funds under the Supreme Court Campaign Reform Act. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Requires the Department of Revenue to print on its standard individual income tax form a provision by which the taxpayer may make a contribution (not less than $1) to the Illinois Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund. Amends the Clerk of the Courts Act. Requires circuit court clerks to transfer $1 from each appearance fee paid to the State Treasurer for deposit into the Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund and, to defray that expense, the county board may, by resolution, require the clerk of the circuit court in the county to charge and collect a Supreme Court Democracy Trust Fund fee of not more than $1, which shall be paid at the time that any appearance fee is paid. Effective immediately.

Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961, the Cannabis Control Act, and the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that whenever any person who has not previously been convicted of or placed on probation for a Class 4 felony charge of prostitution, possession of cannabis, or possession of a controlled substance or any law of the United States or of any other state relating to such offenses pleads guilty to or is found guilty of such offenses, the court, without entering a judgment and with the consent of such person, may sentence the person to deferred adjudication or probation. Provides that when a person is placed on deferred adjudication for such offenses, the court shall enter an order specifying a period of deferred adjudication of 12 to 18 months and shall defer further proceedings in the case until the conclusion of the period or until the filing of a petition alleging violation of a term or condition of the deferred adjudication. Provides that the conditions of deferred adjudication shall be that the person: (1) not violate any criminal statute of any jurisdiction; (2) refrain from possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon; (3) submit to periodic drug testing at a time and in a manner as ordered by the court, but no less than 3 times during the period of the probation, with the cost of the testing to be paid by the person on deferred adjudication; and (4) perform no less than 30 hours of community service, provided community service is available in the jurisdiction and is funded and approved by the county board. Provides that the court may impose other conditions of deferred adjudication. Provides that upon fulfillment of the terms and conditions of deferred adjudication, the court shall discharge the person and dismiss the proceedings against him or her. Provides that there may be only one discharge and dismissal under these provisions unless the court deems that the person may benefit from this disposition for a second or subsequent violation. Provides that if a person is convicted of such offenses within 5 years subsequent to a discharge and dismissal under these provisions, the discharge and dismissal shall be admissible in the sentencing proceeding for that conviction as evidence in aggravation. Provides that the arrest and court records of a person sentenced to probation under these provisions who successfully completes his or her terms of probation shall be expunged and sealed in accordance with the Criminal Identification Act.

Amends the State Treasurer Act concerning the Public Treasurers' Investment Pool. Provides that a "public agency" for purposes of the Pool includes (i) any not-for-profit corporation exempt under the Internal Revenue Code that is created by a public agency for the private fundraising activities of that agency and (ii) associations of public agencies. Effective immediately.