Business Legislation - Illinois

NET METERING PILOT PROGRAMS Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an electric utility must establish a "net metering" pilot program for its retail customers that own and operate a solar or wind electrical generating facility with a capacity of not more than 40 kilowatts located on the customer's premises and intended to offset part of the customer's electrical requirements. Requires separate pilot programs for residential and business customers. Provides that an electric utility that has conducted a net electrical energy metering pilot program for either its residential or business customers, or both, that was initiated before the effective date of this amendatory Act need only file a report of the results of the program with the Illinois Commerce Commission. Provides that the electric utility must report the results of the pilot program to the Illinois Commerce Commission by July 1, 2008. Requires the Commission to provide a summary and an analysis of the reports to [...]

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CRIM CD&AIR RIFLE-AIR RIFLE Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that an assault or battery using an air rifle constitutes aggravated assault or aggravated battery. Amends the Air Rifle Act. Eliminates the maximum $50 fine that may be imposed for violation of the Act by a person who is not a dealer of air rifles. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that the penalty for aggravated battery involving the use of a firearm does not include an air rifle as defined by the Air Rifle Act. Deletes new provision that aggravated battery using a deadly weapon includes using an air rifle. House Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 720 ILCS 5/24-1from Ch. 38, par. 24-1

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PEN CD-DOWNSTATE POLICE-TAXES Amends the Downstate Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the annual property tax levied for pension purposes shall be forwarded directly to the treasurer of the board within 30 business days after receipt by the county. Effective immediately. House Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 40 ILCS 5/3-110.6from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 3-110.640 ILCS 5/3-110.840 ILCS 5/3-110.9 new

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RECYCLABLE METAL PURCHASE LAW Amends the Copper Purchase Registration Law. Changes the short title to the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Provides that, for each purchase of recyclable metal, a recyclable metal dealer must enter specified information on a form provided by the Department of State Police. Requires the recyclable metal dealer to: copy the seller's drivers license or state-issued identification card; photograph the items of recyclable metal purchased; and photograph the license plate and the side of the vehicle or conveyance on which the recyclable metal was delivered or use a security camera to record the license plate and the side of the vehicle or conveyance. Provides that security camera recordings must be retained for 90 days. Provides for reporting to local law enforcement and changes provisions exempting certain municipalities that provide for the registration of recyclable metal. Provides that violation of the Act is a Class A misdemeanor for [...]

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UTILITIES-ELECTRICITY RATES Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 in the Public Utilities Act. Changes the definition of "mandatory transition period" to include the period from the effective date through the date on which the Illinois Commerce Commission has approved declarations of competitive service for all classes of service offered in the service areas of all electric utilities that, on December 31, 2005, served at least 100,000 customers. Requires the Commission to order certain utilities to file and implement tariffs to reinstate all 2006 rates within 10 days after the effective date. Prohibits the Commission from taking certain actions prior to 2010 with respect to (i) initiating, authorizing, or ordering any change by way of increase or (ii) in approving an application for a merger, imposing a condition requiring any filing for an increase, decrease, or change in or other review of a utility's rates or enforcing such a condition. Requires [...]

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ST CONTRACTS-DISCLOSURE Creates the Legislative Contract Disclosure Act and the Lieutenant Governor's Contract Disclosure Act and amends the State Budget Law, the Attorney General Act, the Secretary of State Act, the State Comptroller Act, the State Treasurer Act, and the Illinois State Auditing Act. Requires that the offices of statewide officers, legislators, legislative agencies, and the Auditor General post on their websites disclosures with respect to each of their contracts with an annual value of $50,000 or more. Specifies the contents of the disclosure, including the names of the contracting entity and others with whom the contracting entity has a financial relationship. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to require posting on the online Procurement Bulletin of similar disclosures by bidders and offerors on State contracts with an annual value of $50,000 or more. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to make changes with respect to the following: amendments to contracts;[...]

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ST CONTRACTOR CONTRIBUTIONS Amends the Election Code and the Illinois Procurement Code. Prohibits campaign contributions from a business entity with annual aggregate State contracts or pending State contract bids of more than $50,000, or from the business entity's affiliates, to any political committee (i) established to promote the candidacy of a State executive branch constitutional officer,legislator, or candidate for one of those offices or (ii) of a state central committee represented by a State executive branch constitutional officer or legislator. Defines State contracts as contracts awarded by executive or legislative branch agencies or the Auditor General. Specifies the duration of the contribution prohibition and the penalties for violations. Requires that business entities subject to the prohibition electronically register with the State Board of Elections, including disclosure of their affiliates. Specifies penalties for failure to register or to maintain accurate [...]

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ETHICS-CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, the Election Code, the Compensation Review Act, and the Illinois Procurement Code. Prohibits members of the General Assembly from being employed by the State, a municipality, or a unit of local government, with specified exceptions. Requires members of and candidates for the General Assembly to disclose information concerning lobbying activities and representation cases on their statements of economic interests. Requires the Compensation Review Board to file separate reports for (i) judges and State's Attorneys and (ii) all other positions. Requires the General Assembly to approve or reduce a report for it to take effect (now, must disapprove or reduce a report to prevent it from taking effect). Prohibits campaign contributions from a business entity with annual aggregate State contracts or pending State contract bids of more than $50,000, or from the business entity's affiliates, to any political committee [...]

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ETHICS-CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, the Election Code, the Compensation Review Act, and the Illinois Procurement Code. Prohibits members of the General Assembly from being employed by the State, a municipality, or a unit of local government, with specified exceptions. Requires members of and candidates for the General Assembly to disclose information concerning lobbying activities and representation cases on their statements of economic interests. Requires the Compensation Review Board to file separate reports for (i) judges and State's Attorneys and (ii) all other positions. Requires the General Assembly to approve or reduce a report for it to take effect (now, must disapprove or reduce a report to prevent it from taking effect). Prohibits campaign contributions from a business entity with annual aggregate State contracts or pending State contract bids of more than $50,000, or from the business entity's affiliates, to any political committee [...]

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ETHICS-STATE LEASES Amends the Election Code, the Illinois Procurement Code, and the State Property Control Act. Requires the State Board of Elections to develop and maintain on its website a searchable database, derived from political committees' finance reports, of contributors to candidates for and holders of the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Comptroller, and State Treasurer. Prohibits an executive branch State agency from executing a lease with a business entity if the business entity or any of its affiliates has made any campaign contribution of $150 to the officeholder responsible for awarding the lease during the 24 months before the general election at which that officeholder was first elected or re-elected to his or her current office and the officeholder's entire term. Requires the business entity to disclose its affiliates and to certify that no violating contributions have been made. Requires the State agency [...]

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NUCLEAR POWER ISSUES-TSK FORCE Creates the Nuclear Power Issues Task Force to study nuclear power issues and requires the task force to prepare a report for the General Assembly by January 1, 2009. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Changes the number of members of the Nuclear Power Issues Task Force from 9 to 11 by adding the Director of the Illinois Power Agency as a member and providing that 3 members are selected jointly by the co-chairpersons of the Task Force as follows: one member from the business community, one member from the environmental community, and one member with homeland security experience in a government agency. Adds language providing that the Task Force shall compile information on critical security issues, including, but not limited to, facility security requirements, personnel security requirements, the complementary and overlapping requirements imposed by the federal Department of Homeland Security, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission,[...]

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