The General Assembly took care of the people's business in record time this spring,- passing bills that will reward good drivers, help make our roads safer, fight drunk driving and boost library and literacy funding.

All seven of our 1996 legislative initiatives were passed and now await action by the Governor. Heading up our agenda was a ground-breaking measure that allows safe motorists to renew their drivers licenses by mail or telephone.

"Safe Driver Renewal" - Senate Bill 1762 - lets Illinoisans with clean driving records visit a drivers license facility in person just once every eight years. The bill changes state law to extend the time between required vision tests from four to eight years. Currently, less than half a percent of motorists fail the vision test.

This bill will provide a major new convenience to 1.1 million motorists annually, while providing all drivers an incentive to drive more carefully. It is expected to reduce lines al facilities and save my office as much as $400,000 annually. Other legislative action includes:

• House Bill 3629, requiring drivers who black out at the wheel to be reported to the Secretary of State's office.

I proposed the measure last December after learning about a motorist who passed out and injured 17 people when he crashed into a Palatine post office. The driver had lost consciousness in four other crashes, none of which were reported to the Secretary of State's office.

The bill would require police officers to notify this office of any driver who blacks out at the wheel. Additionally, motorists would have to alert the office within 10 days after learning of any medical condition that might impair their ability to drive.

• Senate Joint Resolution 88, creating the Graduated Driver Licensing Task Force to develop new standards for young drivers to get and keep an Illinois drivers license.

The 18-member panel, which includes traffic safety experts, law enforcement groups, lawmakers and a high school student, is charged with reporting its findings to the General Assembly by Jan. 1. The group's recommendations will be used next year in Grafting legislation to create a graduated licensing system in Illinois.

Eight other states have graduated systems in which new drivers do not obtain full driving privileges until either age 18 or 21. Under those systems, young drivers may be subject to night-time driving restrictions, safety belt requirements and limits on the age and number of passengers.

Our goal is to further reduce the number of fata

July 1996 / Illinois. Municipal Review / Page15

ities among teen-age drivers, who account for only 6 percent of the driving population but are involved in 16 percent of fatal crashes.

• House Bill 2206, creating the "Educate & Automate" program to further advance technology in Illinois libraries, triple funding for Illinois family literacy programs and enhance efficiency in my office by upgrading computers and automating additional services.

The $19.4 million measure would be funded through increases in three business-related fees that have not been raised in decades.

The largest portion, $13.8 million, would be raised by increasing the fee for an individual driving record from $2 to $5. Upping the charge for Uniform Commercial Code filings from $6 to $20 would raise $3.4 million, and boosting the corporate annual report filing fee from $15 to $25 would raise $2.2 million.

We created "Educate & Automate" to allow more families to participate in joint community literacy efforts, to help libraries combat the effects of tax caps and rising costs and to update an increasingly obsolete mainframe computer in our office that is vital to public safety.

House Bill 3367, creating a "universal" charity plate that helps any bona fide charitable group raise money.

Charitable or fraternal organizations would sell decals featuring their logos to motorists who buy the new plate. The plate is scheduled for release in July 1997.

With this new plate, charitable organizations no longer would need to lobby for new laws to create special plates.

• Senate Bill 1315, creating a "universal" veterans plate to honor all who served in any branch of the military in any war, police action or armed conflict. Part of the $15 raised from each plate is to be spent on library materials for Illinois veterans homes. The plate also would be available in July 1997.

• Senate Bill 1465, clearing the way for businesses, law firms and individuals to conduct business with the Secretary of State's office by fax or other electronic means, including the Internet. The bill would let this office accept electronic signatures in place of signatures written by hand.

The measure also will let the office initiate a new era of service, where filings and other transactions can be conducted over phone lines and computers.

• House Bill 3368, closing a loophole in the state's mandatory auto insurance law by making it illegal for motorists to display a fake insurance verification card to a judge or court officer. Current law only prohibits displaying a fake card to a police officer.

• I also commend the General Assembly for passing House Bill 3613 that allows health-care workers to report the condition of drunk drivers to police after the drivers receive emergency medical treatment following a crash.

The bill would clear the way for a pilot project our office is initiating that will develop procedures for health care professionals to gather evidence after crashes that may involve drunk driving or reckless homicide.

Page 16 / Illinois Municipal Review / July 1996