ILA Supports
House Bill (HB) 4202, sponsor: Representative Dan Brady (R-88, Bloomington). This bill concerning the disposal of library materials would amend the State Property Control Act. With respect to the transfer of books, serial publications, and other library materials to which the Act's transfer procedures do not apply, (i) adds those items that have been withdrawn from the transferring agency's library collection through a regular collection evaluation process and (ii) adds non-profit agencies, whether located in or outside Illinois, to the list of entities to which such items may be transferred. The bill would authorize an agency with withdrawn books, serial publications, or other library materials to sell those items to the public at library book sales or to book dealers or to offer those items through exchange to book dealers or to organizations. It provides that revenues generated from such sales shall be retained by the agency and used for the purchase of library materials. Dane Ward from Illinois State University has been instrumental on working on this issue.
House Bill (HB) 4518, sponsor: Representative Frank J. Mautino (D-76, Spring Valley). This bill is referred to as “Libraries in Name Only.” This is an issue that had received extensive discussion in the ILA Public Policy Committee (PPC) because of recent development regarding four township referenda (Fall River Township, Farm Ridge Township, Freedom Township, and Wallace Township in LaSalle County) where library districts have been created without clear intention of providing library service. This action has confused library service in this area and could have greater implications across the state. The bill was crafted using language recommended by ILA PPC and mirroring language in Park District laws regarding dissolution. The bill explains methods to dissolve libraries, which do not meet specific criteria (for example, appropriate, elect library board, hold meetings).
House Bill (HB) 4521, sponsor: Robert W. Pritchard (R-70, Sycamore). This bill amends the Illinois Municipal Code by providing that any recommendation by a joint review board to approve a redevelopment plan and the designation of the redevelopment project area must be adopted by a unanimous vote of the board. It further provides that, if the plan or project area is rejected by the joint review board, the municipality may not proceed with the plan or amendment.
House Bill (HB) 4527, sponsor: Representative Lou Lang (D-16, Skokie). This bill requested by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office and supported by Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-22, Chicago), changes equalization grant language: increases rate from $4.25 to $7.50 per capita; increase minimum grant award to school libraries from $100 to $750. The per capita rate has not been increased since 1979 when the grant was created. The minimum grant level for schools has not been increased since 1994. Ten public libraries currently qualify for the equalization grants. Under the new formula the number of public libraries which qualify will increase to fifty-seven. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, 344 school districts received a grant of less than $750. In FY 2008, 345 school districts received a grant of less than $750 out of a total of 718 school districts that received library grants. School districts have to apply for these grants and the awards are based on student enrollment as of September 30 of the award year, so it is difficult to accurately state what will happen the next year, but based on the experience in FY 07 and FY 08, it is expected somewhere between 340 and 350 school districts to benefit from HB 4527 in FY 09 and thereafter.
House Bill (HB) 4682, sponsor: Representatives Donald L. Moffitt (R-37, Galesburg) and Michael K. Smith (D-91, Pekin) are sponsoring this tax cap initiative which would exempt pension levies, including Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) from the tax caps.
Senate Bill (SB) 1865, sponsor: Senator Mike Noland (D-22, Elgin). This bill deals with parental responsibility for minors damaging public property. Damages are currently capped at $20,000. This bill would increase the limit to $200,000.
Senate Bill (SB) 2321, sponsor: Senator Donne E. Trotter (D-17, Chicago). This County Law Library Fee bill would provide that the county board may authorize a county law library fee of not more than (i) $18 in 2008, (ii) $19 in 2009, and (iii) $21 in 2010 and thereafter (now, $13).
Senate Bill (SB) 2512, sponsor: Senator Terry Link (D-30, Lake Bluff). This Internet Safety Education Curriculum bill would amend the School Code by providing that beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, a school district must incorporate into the school curriculum a component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each school year to students in grade three or above. It further requires the State Board of Education to develop a model curriculum for educating children regarding child online safety and requires the State Board of Education to provide to each school district educational materials for parents regarding child online safety.
Senate Resolution (SR) 545, sponsor: Senator Matt Murphy (R-27, Palatine). This Internet Safety Education resolution urges schools and public libraries to use available information to provide Internet safety education to the children and parents of this state.
ILA Is Monitoring
House Bill (HB) 4219, sponsor: Representative Ruth Munson (R-43, Elgin). This bill focuses on the security of Social Security numbers and identity theft. The bill prohibits any entity of local government from using social security numbers for identification and requires the creation of a separate identification number. The criminal penalty for violating this requirement would be a Class A Misdemeanor.
House Bill (HB) 4755, sponsor: Representative Sidney H. Mathias (R-53, Arlington Heights). This bill amends the Harassing and Obscene Communications Act by creating the offense of harassment by Internet. It prohibits various forms of obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent communications with the intent to offend by use of the Internet or any abusive, threatening, or harassing communications by use of the Internet and establishes penalties.
Senate Bill (SB) 2399, sponsors: Senators Terry Link (D-30, Lake Bluff) and Christine Radogno (R-41, Lemont). The bill would amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act by prohibiting an employer, employment agency, labor organization, and licensing agency from using genetic information of a person or administer a genetic test to a person. By consensus, the board voted to monitor this bill, to request the ILA Public Policy Committee to review any existing biomedic guidelines, and to make a recommendation for an ILA position.
Other Public Policy Actions
House Bills (HB) 4874—(HB) 4880, sponsor: Representative Tom Cross (R-84, Plainfield). The ILA Executive Board directed staff to work on these Social Networking & Sex Offender Bills with the sponsor and other liked-minded organizations to make sure that these legislative initiatives do not negatively impact libraries.
