Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. With respect to the social studies prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, provides that the civics requirement applies only to pupils entering the 9th grade through the 2020-2021 school year. Provides that for pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2021-2022 school year and each school year thereafter, the social studies prerequisite shall include instruction on citizenship. Provides that as part of this instruction, a pupil shall be required to complete the civics test component of the Naturalization Interview and Test administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Allows school districts to utilize private funding available for the purposes of offering citizenship education. Effective July 1, 2021.
Sponsored bills
Creates the Local Government Business Anti-Poaching Act. Provides that no municipality or county shall offer any incentive after the effective date of the Act to a business or corporation to move its headquarters located in Illinois, or any part of its business located in Illinois, away from the current location at the time of the offering of the incentive. Defines "incentive". Limits home rule powers. Effective immediately.
Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority shall not charge a toll for a vehicle of the first division pulling a trailer with no more than 2 axles at a rate higher than an amount calculated by multiplying the toll charged to passenger vehicles using an I-PASS device by the total number of axles on the trailer. Provides that the toll rate applies to drivers who use an I-PASS device or use cash to pay a toll. Effective immediately.
Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that a child shall not be considered neglected solely because the child's parent or other person responsible for his or her welfare has a difference of opinion with a medical professional regarding the safety, efficacy, or advisability of various treatment protocols specific to that child. Provides that a child shall not be considered neglected solely because a child's parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare objects to: (i) a recommended vaccination schedule or the dosing schedule for vaccines; (ii) the administration of ophthalmic antibiotics or silver nitrate in newborns; (iii) the administration of, timing of, or route of administration for vitamin K in newborns; or other specified medical care. Provides that requests for minimally invasive diagnostic tests for the child and a diagnosis of or treatment of pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections shall not be considered an indication of neglect. Provides that if a medical professional complies with an objection or request set forth in the amendatory Act by a child's parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare, no liability for any such decision may attach to the medical professional. Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that a child's parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare has a right to be free from threats by medical professionals to refer a child to protective services, unless the medical professional has a good faith basis to believe that the child otherwise meets the definition of an abused child or a neglected child as defined under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that veterans who served in active duty status during the Vietnam War but were not deployed to Vietnam for combat are eligible for Vietnam veteran license plates.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. With respect to the 5 State-funded Retirement Systems: requires each System to prepare and implement a Tier 3 plan by July 1, 2022 that aggregates State and employee contributions in individual participant accounts that are used for payouts after retirement. Provides that a Tier 1 or Tier 2 participant may irrevocably elect to participate in the Tier 3 plan instead of the defined benefit plan and may also elect to terminate all participation in the defined benefit plan and to have a specified amount credited to his or her account under the Tier 3 plan. Makes related changes in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. In the Downstate Teachers, State Employees, and State Universities Articles, authorizes a person to elect not to participate or to terminate participation in those Systems. In the General Assembly and Judges Articles, authorizes a participant to terminate his or her participation in the System. In the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), State Employees, State Universities, and Downstate Teachers Articles, for participants who first become participants on or after the effective date, prohibits (i) payments for unused sick or vacation time from being used to calculate pensionable salary and (ii) unused sick or vacation time from being used to establish service credit. In the Downstate Teachers Article, prohibits an employer from making employee contributions on behalf of an employee, except for the sole purpose of allowing an employee to make pre-tax contributions. Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act to prohibit collective bargaining over that prohibition. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the maximum amount of the education expense credit to $1,500 (currently, $500). Adds athletic fees, driver's education fees, and fees and costs associated with certain out-of-school activities to the list of qualified education expenses. Effective immediately.
Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act and continuing through the last day of the fourth month after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the taxes imposed by those Acts do not apply to the proceeds of sales of: motor fuel; gasohol; majority blended ethanol fuel; biodiesel; and biodiesel blends. Amends the Motor Fuel Tax Act. Provides that no tax shall be imposed under this Act beginning 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act and continuing through the last day of the fourth month after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.
Creates the Campus Free Speech Act. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college to develop and adopt a policy on free expression; sets forth what the policy must contain. Requires the Board of Higher Education to create a Committee on Free Expression to issue an annual report. Requires public institutions of higher education to include in their freshman orientation programs a section describing to all students the policies and rules regarding free expression that are consistent with the Act. Contains provisions concerning rules, construction of the Act, permitted restrictions, and enforcement.
Amends the General Assembly, State Employee, State Universities, Downstate Teachers, and Judges Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Requires the Board of each System to establish and maintain a voluntary defined contribution plan to address the retirement preparedness gap for participants in a defined benefit plan who are not on track to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Provides that the contribution rate shall be established by the Board. Provides that the plan shall exist and serve in addition to other retirement, pension, and benefit plans established under the Code. Provides that any Tier 2 participant who first becomes a participant on or after establishment of the plan shall automatically be enrolled, unless he or she opts out within 60 days after first becoming a participant. Authorizes Tier 1 participants and Tier 2 participants who first became participants before the plan was established to enroll in the plan. Contains provisions concerning investment options, qualified plan status, and distribution requirements. Defines terms and repeals a definition added by Public Act 98-599, which has been held unconstitutional. Effective immediately.