Labor & Employment

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision concerning eligibility for total and permanent disability benefits, provides that if the participating employee was a sheriff's law enforcement employee at the time disability was incurred, the participating employee shall be deemed to have engaged in gainful activity only if that participating employee is employed as a sheriff's law enforcement employee or in a substantially similar capacity. Provides that the amount of the monthly total and permanent disability benefit shall be 100% of the final rate of earnings on the date disability was incurred if the participating employee was a sheriff's law enforcement employee at the time disability was incurred. Provides that a person who was a sheriff's law enforcement employee at the time disability was incurred may receive earnings from a participating municipality or participating instrumentality if that person is not employed as a sheriff's law enforcement employee because of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or be of a long continued and indefinite duration. Provides that such a person must report to the Fund, in a form and manner prescribed by the Fund, the amount of earnings received for that employment, and the amount of the disability benefits to which that person is entitled shall be reduced by the amount of earnings received for that employment. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that an association or other entity that has as one of its purposes promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among schools and students within this State shall require all school coaches to obtain and maintain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and the use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED). Requires certification in CPR and AED use to be consistent with national, evidence-based, emergency cardiovascular care guidelines. Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a cardiac emergency response plan shall include (i) establishing a cardiac emergency response team that is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator and (ii) the use of annual cardiac response drills to practice the steps established in the cardiac emergency response plan, in partnership with local emergency medical services. Makes other changes concerning the plan.

Amends the Family Military Leave Act. Changes the name of the Act to the "Military Leave Act". Provides that an employee may use up to 8 hours per calendar month to participate in a funeral honors detail, up to a total of 40 hours per calendar year, or more if authorized by the employer or if provided for in a collective bargaining agreement. Provides for requirements to take leave for funeral honors details. Provides that an employee that takes leave may do so in lieu of, and without having exhausted, his or her vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory leave, or any other leave that may be granted to the employee, including sick leave and disability leave. Defines terms. Provides that the employer of an employee that takes leave must pay the employee his or her regular rate of pay for the leave taken to participate in a funeral honors detail. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit and a credit against insurance premium taxes for business entities for the cost of providing certain commuter benefits to employees. Provides that the credit shall be equal to 50% of the cost of providing the eligible commuter benefits, but not to exceed $100 per individual employee per month. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for taxpayers who are law enforcement officers in an amount equal to the amount of overtime compensation that is paid to the taxpayer during the taxable year for the taxpayer's service as a law enforcement officer and that is included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a policeman who applies for disability benefits under the Article and has been denied reinstatement as a policeman by his or her employer because of a physical or mental incapacity shall be presumed to be disabled as that term is used in the Article. Provides that no policeman who otherwise meets the requirements for a disability benefit shall be denied a disability benefit unless and until the policeman's employer reinstates him or her as a policeman or offers him or her a limited-duty position. Provides that any policeman who has been denied a disability benefit without an offer of reinstatement or a limited-duty position after the effective date of the amendatory Act is entitled to disability benefits. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Health Care Violence Prevention Act. Tasks health care providers with reporting any incident of verbal aggression or physical assault of a health care worker employed by the health care provider in the health care provider's emergency department to the Department of Public Health. Requires the Department to track the information reported to assess each health care provider's progress in systemically limiting the verbal aggression toward and physical assault of health care workers. Requires health care providers to post notice regarding verbal aggression and physical assault of health care workers in each emergency department of the health care provider. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. In provisions authorizing certain persons to transfer service credit from IMRF to a downstate police pension fund, makes technical and combining changes to conform the changes made by Public Act 102-857 and Public Act 102-1061. Removes a restrictive date on the transfer of that service credit. Authorizes investigators for the Secretary of State and conservation police officers to transfer that service credit. Authorizes State's Attorneys to transfer service credit under the IMRF Article to the State Employee Article. In the State Employee Article, provides that a State policeman or conservation police officer may elect to convert service credit earned under the Article or, for certain types of service, elect to establish eligible creditable service under the alternative retirement annuity provisions by filing a written election with the Board of Trustees and paying to the System a specified amount. Provides that a participant under the alternative retirement annuity provisions may establish eligible creditable service for up to 7 years of service as a State's Attorney. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately.

SB 2599 allocates $7,047,506,738 in state funds for teacher retirement system contributions during fiscal year 2025. The bill specifies funding from multiple state accounts - including the General Fund, Common School Fund, and Education Assistance Fund - to cover existing obligations for public school teachers' retirement benefits and health insurance. It directly affects Illinois public school teachers by ensuring state contributions to their retirement systems as required by current pension laws. The funding takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not create new policies or alter benefit calculations.