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New laws take effect Jan. 1 in Ill., Wis.
Wis. legislation involves security freeze, family issues; Ill. bills cover affordable housing, carbon monoxide detectors
By Julie Becker
Daily News staff writer
Along with the start of a new year, Jan.1 is the effective date for at least a few new state laws taking effect in Illinois and Wisconsin that Stateline residents should be aware of and resolve to abide by.
Eight total laws take effect in Wisconsin on Jan. 1, but according to legislators, only two are of significant concern for residents.
“The date Jan. 1 has no particular significance in this state,” said Mike Keane, of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. “It's more or less happenstance that a law would have taken effect Jan. 1, 2007.”
Most laws go into effect within 30 days of receiving the governor's signature, he explained.
One law that Wisconsin residents should know about is the 2005 Act 140, which allows any individual to restrict the release of credit reports or put a “freeze” on their credit information.
“The security freeze is some pretty good legislation,” said State Rep. Chuck Benedict, D-Beloit. “Nowadays, there's identity theft that people go through. Basically, even if you haven't had anything stolen, you can put a security freeze on your accounts for a $10 fee, so people can't check into your credit without your consent.”
The security freeze can be taken off at any time at a resident's request, but will cost $10 again to be applied in the future.
Another law to make a note of is 2005 Act 443, which revises chapter 767 of the state statutes and involves issues affecting the family, such as divorce and custody, Keane said.
Other acts or portions of acts taking effect will include: 2003 Act 318, 2003 Act 33, 2005 Act 82, 2005 Act 108, 2005 Act 74 and 2005 Act 172. The full text of all laws is available at the Legislative Reference Bureau Web Site, at www.legis.state.wi.us.
Benedict said there are also laws taking effect later in the year to look forward to.
“Beginning Dec. 31, 2007, there will no longer be state taxes on Social Security income,” he said. “That will be nice, but it won't really help people until the beginning of 2008.”
As for the state of Illinois, 98 bills take effect Jan. 1, and residents should be especially aware of the following:
€ House Bill 5284 - Creates the Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act. Requires that every dwelling unit be equipped with at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm in an operating condition within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping purposes.
€ Senate Bill 2310 - Provides that a consumer (instead of a consumer who has been the victim of identity theft) may request that a security freeze be placed on his or her credit report by sending a request in writing by certified mail to a consumer reporting agency. For more information, call the Illinois Attorney General Office's Identity Theft Hotline, at (866)999-5630.
€ Senate Bill - Provides that a sex offender registrant must provide additional information under the registration process, including noting any identifying marks on his or her body, such as tattoos or birth marks, providing the license plate number of all vehicles he or she owns and including the age of the sex offender and the age of the victim at the time of the offense. The Department of State Police must make the information contained in the Statewide Sex Offender Database searchable via a mapping system which identifies registered sex offenders living within 5 miles of an identified address.
€ House Bill 4715 - Creates the Safe Homes Act, which addresses threats of domestic and sexual violence and issues such as when a tenant can change their locks or when a landlord has a duty to change the locks.
€ Senate Bill 2349 - Gives vulnerable homeowners new rights to protect them from unscrupulous mortgage ‘rescue' firms that purport to help avoid foreclosure, but instead profit at the homeowners' expense by taking over the property and not alleviating the debt.
€ Senate Bill 2885 - Ensures that Illinois working families, seniors and people with disabilities continue having access to affordable housing, through coordinating state government resources and encouraging businesses to operate closer to public transportation and areas where their workforce lives.
The full text of each bill is available on the Illinois Government Web Site, at www.illinois.gov/government/gov_legislature.cfm.
New legislation concerning residents on a national level includes an update to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which specifies: “Beginning January 23, 2007, all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.”
For more information on new federal laws taking effect next year, visit www.firstgov.gov/topics/reference_shelf/laws.shtml. For more on state and federal legislation, visit www.stateline.org.
By Julie Becker
Daily News staff writer
Along with the start of a new year, Jan.1 is the effective date for at least a few new state laws taking effect in Illinois and Wisconsin that Stateline residents should be aware of and resolve to abide by.
Eight total laws take effect in Wisconsin on Jan. 1, but according to legislators, only two are of significant concern for residents.
“The date Jan. 1 has no particular significance in this state,” said Mike Keane, of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. “It's more or less happenstance that a law would have taken effect Jan. 1, 2007.”
Most laws go into effect within 30 days of receiving the governor's signature, he explained.
One law that Wisconsin residents should know about is the 2005 Act 140, which allows any individual to restrict the release of credit reports or put a “freeze” on their credit information.
“The security freeze is some pretty good legislation,” said State Rep. Chuck Benedict, D-Beloit. “Nowadays, there's identity theft that people go through. Basically, even if you haven't had anything stolen, you can put a security freeze on your accounts for a $10 fee, so people can't check into your credit without your consent.”
The security freeze can be taken off at any time at a resident's request, but will cost $10 again to be applied in the future.
Another law to make a note of is 2005 Act 443, which revises chapter 767 of the state statutes and involves issues affecting the family, such as divorce and custody, Keane said.
Other acts or portions of acts taking effect will include: 2003 Act 318, 2003 Act 33, 2005 Act 82, 2005 Act 108, 2005 Act 74 and 2005 Act 172. The full text of all laws is available at the Legislative Reference Bureau Web Site, at www.legis.state.wi.us.
Benedict said there are also laws taking effect later in the year to look forward to.
“Beginning Dec. 31, 2007, there will no longer be state taxes on Social Security income,” he said. “That will be nice, but it won't really help people until the beginning of 2008.”
As for the state of Illinois, 98 bills take effect Jan. 1, and residents should be especially aware of the following:
€ House Bill 5284 - Creates the Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act. Requires that every dwelling unit be equipped with at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm in an operating condition within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping purposes.
€ Senate Bill 2310 - Provides that a consumer (instead of a consumer who has been the victim of identity theft) may request that a security freeze be placed on his or her credit report by sending a request in writing by certified mail to a consumer reporting agency. For more information, call the Illinois Attorney General Office's Identity Theft Hotline, at (866)999-5630.
€ Senate Bill - Provides that a sex offender registrant must provide additional information under the registration process, including noting any identifying marks on his or her body, such as tattoos or birth marks, providing the license plate number of all vehicles he or she owns and including the age of the sex offender and the age of the victim at the time of the offense. The Department of State Police must make the information contained in the Statewide Sex Offender Database searchable via a mapping system which identifies registered sex offenders living within 5 miles of an identified address.
€ House Bill 4715 - Creates the Safe Homes Act, which addresses threats of domestic and sexual violence and issues such as when a tenant can change their locks or when a landlord has a duty to change the locks.
€ Senate Bill 2349 - Gives vulnerable homeowners new rights to protect them from unscrupulous mortgage ‘rescue' firms that purport to help avoid foreclosure, but instead profit at the homeowners' expense by taking over the property and not alleviating the debt.
€ Senate Bill 2885 - Ensures that Illinois working families, seniors and people with disabilities continue having access to affordable housing, through coordinating state government resources and encouraging businesses to operate closer to public transportation and areas where their workforce lives.
The full text of each bill is available on the Illinois Government Web Site, at www.illinois.gov/government/gov_legislature.cfm.
New legislation concerning residents on a national level includes an update to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which specifies: “Beginning January 23, 2007, all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.”
For more information on new federal laws taking effect next year, visit www.firstgov.gov/topics/reference_shelf/laws.shtml. For more on state and federal legislation, visit www.stateline.org.
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