New Laws for 2008

December 20, 2007

Olney, IL.….With the new year comes new laws for the citizens of Illinois. According to State Representative David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) there are numerous new laws that are set to take effect on January 1st

“Despite all the gridlock we faced in Springfield this year, lawmakers were able to pass many bills that will directly affect the people of Illinois,” stated Reis

Listed below are some of the important bills that will be taking effect on January 1st. Bills may also be viewed at www.ilga.gov.

HB 426 - Amends the Election Code and the School Code. Changes the general primary election from the third Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in February in even-numbered years. 

SB 201 - Creates a special 2-day, youth-only deer hunting season between September 1 and October 31 of each year.

SB 500 – Implements a statewide smoking ban for all bars, restaurants, private clubs and 15 feet from the entrance to public places.  Only exemptions from the ban are private residences, private nursing home rooms, certain hotel rooms, and qualifying retail tobacco stores.

SB 1265 – Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Prohibits all clear (as well as tinted) plastic license plate covers.

SB 140 - Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Prohibits a person under the age of 19 years who holds an instruction permit or a graduated license from driving on a roadway while using a wireless phone, except for emergency purposes.

HB 369 - Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.  Provides that on or after January 1, 2008, no person shall sell a gift certificate that is subject to an expiration date earlier than 5 years after the date of issuance.

HB 250 – Requires that parents who are enrolling their child in daycare, preschool, or a child care facility for the first time are required to submit a copy of the child’s certified birth certificate.

HB 518 – Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may, without fee, allow the parent or guardian of a person under the age of 18 years, who holds a graduated driver's license or an instruction permit, to view the person's driving record online through a computer connection.

HB 156 – Provides that it is unlawful for a child sex offender to knowingly operate, manage, be employed by, or be associated with any county fair when persons under the age of 18 are present.

HB 1499 - Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that it shall not be unlawful for any person to drive or operate any all-terrain vehicle or off-highway motorcycle upon any county roadway or township roadway for the purpose of conducting farming operations to and from the home, farm, farm buildings, and any adjacent or nearby farm land.

HB 285- Amends the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997. Subject to appropriation, requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and operate a renewable energy grant program to assist school districts in the installation, acquisition, construction, and improvement of renewable energy sources in the public schools.

HB 286 – Amends the Municipal Code. Prohibits an adult entertainment facility from being located within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, cemetery, public park, forest preserve, public housing, and place of religious worship, if that place of business has 25% or more of its inventory of books, magazines, and films for sale, exhibition, or viewing on-premises that are sexually explicit in nature.

SB 19 – Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law. Subject to appropriation, directs the Department to establish a statewide network of cord blood stem cell banks.

HB 297 – Amends the Wildlife Code. Defines "hound running" Provides that the Department of Natural Resources is responsible for the operation of a hound running areas permit program.

SB 80 – Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the driver of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on a highway must maintain a distance of at least 3 feet between the vehicle and the bicycle or individual.

SB 55 – Amends the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act. Provides that any person who, in order to acquire a targeted methamphetamine precursor, knowingly uses or provides the driver's license or government-issued identification of another person, who knowingly uses or provides a fictitious or unlawfully altered driver's license or government-issued identification, or who otherwise knowingly provides false information, is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a first offense, a Class 3 felony for a second offense, and a Class 2 felony for a third or subsequent offense.

SB 274 - Amends the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. Provides that it is a Class 4 (rather than a Class 3) felony to attempt to possess, procure, transport, store, or deliver anhydrous ammonia in an unauthorized container.

SB 71 – Amends the Child Passenger Protection Act. Provides that any person transporting a child under the age of 8 years in any truck or truck tractor equipped with seat safety belts is responsible for securing the child in an appropriate child restraint system.

HB 411 – Amends the Organ Donor Leave Act. To donate blood, authorizes leave of up to one hour or more (now, up to one hour) every 56 days. To donate blood platelets, authorizes leave of up to 2 hours or more (now, up to 2 hours) as frequently as in accordance with medical standards.

SB 132 – Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that a person who falsely represents himself or herself to be a public officer or a public employee or an official or employee of the federal government commits a Class A (rather than a Class B) misdemeanor.

HB 351 – Provides that the corporate authorities of a municipality or county board of a county may adopt an ordinance, under which it may aggregate residential retail electrical loads located, respectively, within the municipality or county and, for that purpose, may solicit bids and enter into service agreements to facilitate for those loads the sale and purchase of electricity and related services and equipment.

Anyone seeking more information about the new laws may contact Rep. Reis’ office at 618-392-0108 or by emailing them at keith@davidreis.org.