First Reading

              October 2007
ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH UNIT
Representative
Sara Feigenholtz
Major Bills Passed by the
Illinois General Assembly
This issue of First Reading summarizes selected bills as they passed both houses of the General Assembly, and reports on the Governor’s actions and legislative responses to vetoes. Although contentious issues took most of the spotlight, a total of 745 bills passed both houses in 2007’s extended session. This issue summarizes 291 bills of general interest in 13 categories.
Major bills that passed both houses provide for electric rate relief and reform (including creation of an Illinois Power Agency to plan and generate electricity for the state’s needs); state participation in a project to reduce carbon dioxide re­leases to the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants; banning smoking in almost all enclosed public places; controlling “superbug” infections in hospitals; and supporting stem cell research. Other measures offer relief from rising property tax rates; tighten restrictions on young drivers cited for moving violations; and deny drivers’ licenses for, and allow im­mobilization of vehicles of, persons seriously delinquent on child support.
Page 30 of this issue gives Public Act numbers for bills summarized here that became law, and information on the out­comes of vetoes. Information on all bills of the session is available on the World Wide Web at: www.ilga.gov/
Legislative Research Unit
Co-chairs
Volume 21, No. 1
Senator
Larry Bomke
Appropriations & State Budget...................2
Business & Economic Development...........3
Civil Law.....................................................4
Criminal Law..............................................5
Education...................................................11
Environment & Conservation...................12
Health & Safety.........................................14
Local Government.....................................20
Professions & Occupations.......................21
Revenue.....................................................22
Social Services..........................................23
State Government & Pensions..................26
Transportation...........................................27
Special License Plates...............................29
Bills with Governor’s action.....................30
Abstracts of reports required to be
filed with General Assembly.................32
Inside this Issue