Sen. Tom Rooney

Repeals the Prevailing Wage Act. Effective July 1, 2017.

Amends the State Designations Act. Repeals the following State designations: State bird; State insect; official language; State mineral; State tree and flower; State animal; State fish; State prairie grass; State vegetable; State fruit; State fossil; State artifact; State folk dance; State theatre; State soil; State snackfood; State amphibian; State reptile; State tartan; and State pie.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the corporate authorities of a municipality may, by ordinance with a three-fifths vote, exempt the municipality from one unfunded mandate per year if it determines that compliance with the unfunded mandate creates an undue burden on the municipality. Provides for notice, public hearing, and other requirements in order for the corporate authorities to exempt the municipality from a mandate. Prohibits exemption from federally required mandates, mandates pertaining to health and public safety, mandates pertaining to civil rights, and instructional mandates for school districts. Amends the State Mandates Act making conforming changes.

Amends the Cigarette Use Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Exempts from the provisions of the Act any public works project with an estimated project cost of $1,000,000 or less. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that if a company opts not to obtain readily available information for named insureds and drivers provided by the applicant at the time of application to underwrite the risk prior to issuing the policy, the company shall not defeat, avoid, or rescind the policy of insurance based on obtaining the readily available information after a loss has occurred or a claim is filed. Defines "readily available information".

Proposes to amend the Legislature and Executive Articles of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a person may not be elected to the office of State Senator for more than three terms or the office of State Representative for more than five terms, and that service in the General Assembly before the second Wednesday in January of 2019 shall not be considered in the calculation of a person's service. Provides that a person may not be elected to more than 2 terms for each Executive Branch office, and that service in an Executive Branch office before the second Monday in January of 2019 shall not be considered in the calculation of a person's service. Effective upon being declared adopted.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning downstate police.

Directs the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to jointly identify any shortcomings in attaining the goals of Public Act 99-636 that the General Education Core Curriculum courses transfer between institutions with full credit towards a baccalaureate degree.

Amends the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act. Provides that the Program Board created to administer the grant program authorized by the Act shall be comprised of 11 (rather than 21) members. Effective immediately.