Rep. Jason Bunting

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Makes changes concerning the taxes due under the Act on estates that contain qualified farm property. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating the State Death Tax Credit, those estates are subject to an exemption of $6,000,000 (rather than an exclusion amount of $4,000,000), which shall be deducted from the net estate value after the net estate value is computed in accordance with the Act. Provides that the exemption shall be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Makes changes concerning the calculation of the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for those estates. Provides for a special use valuation to provide that the value of the qualified farm property shall be calculated without regard to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. Makes changes concerning the definition of "qualified heir". Effective January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 2137 makes a technical amendment to the Economic Development Project Area Tax Increment Allocation Act of 1995. This bill specifically modifies a section related to the short title of that existing act.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires each facility to notify the appropriate regional office of the Department of Public Health within 24 hours, or by the end of the next business day, after each reportable incident or accident. Requires the facility to send a narrative summary of each reportable incident or accident to the Department within 5 days after the incident or accident.

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall allow assisted living establishments and supportive living establishments to provide an approved course of training for certified nursing assistants at the establishment, so long as the training meets the requirements of the Nursing Home Care Act and rules adopted by the Department. Sets forth provisions concerning the supervised clinical training portion of the training program. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules requiring that the Health Care Worker Registry include information identifying where an individual received clinical training and may amend specified rules as necessary to implement the certified nursing assistant training program.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Changes the definition of "implement of husbandry" to exclude any farm wagon, wagon trailer, or similar vehicle having a gross weight of more than 80,000 (rather than 36,000) pounds. Effective immediately.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade beginning with the 2028-2029 school year must successfully complete either 2 years of foreign language courses or at least 2 years of career-focused coursework that has been authorized by the State Board of Education as meeting the requirements for a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act (rather than requiring the successful completion of 2 years of foreign language courses). Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Provides that a public university may not require State public high school graduates, as a condition of acceptance, to have completed any years of foreign language courses unless the university permits, as an alternative to completion of a foreign language course, attainment of a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHR 112 is a resolution that expresses the belief that the Illinois Income Tax Act should not be amended to permit the taxation of retirement income. It advocates against any future changes that would allow the state to tax the income of retirees in Illinois.

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before issuing a subpoena. Provides that any existing rule, as of the effective date of the amendatory Act, requiring the Legislative Inspectors General to seek the Commission's advanced approval before issuing a subpoena is void. Provides that within 60 days after receipt of a summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head, the Executive and Legislative Ethics Commissions shall make available to the public the report and response or a redacted version of the report and response (currently, report required to be made public only if it resulted in a suspension of at least 3 days or termination of employment). Removes language providing that the Legislative Inspector General needs the advanced approval of the Commission to issue subpoenas. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for any person to possess, purchase, attempt to purchase, sell, or attempt to sell, or for any recyclable metal dealer to purchase or attempt to purchase, telecommunications wire in any amount unless the seller is an authorized agent, a representative or employee of a licensed contractor of a public utility, a provider of telecommunications services, as described in the Public Utilities Act, or a provider of broadband service, interconnected VoIP services, or wireless services, as described in the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Recyclable Metal Theft Task Force shall review the effectiveness of its efforts in deterring and investigating the problem of recyclable metal theft specific to telecommunications wires, burned wire, and any other equipment used to provide (i) telecommunications services, as described in the Public Utilities Act, or (ii) broadband service, interconnected VoIP services, or wireless services, as described in the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Task Force shall consider and develop long-term solutions, both legislative and enforcement-driven, for the rising problem of theft of these wires and equipment in this State. Provides that the Task Force shall be composed of one representative of a wireless telecommunications carrier. Provides that the Task Force shall, by October 31 of each year, report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor. Changes the definition of the term "recyclable metal". Defines the terms "burned wire" and "telecommunications wire".

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall allow for an alternative rural staffing model for vehicle service providers that serve a rural or semi-rural population of 10,000 or fewer inhabitants and exclusively use volunteers, paid-on-call, or part-time employees, or a combination thereof (now, the use of part-time employees is not an option). Effective immediately.