Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act. Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Provides that the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to encourage and facilitate the employment of construction workforces located in underrepresented populations. Provides that applicants that are applying for a new utility-scale offshore wind project with the Illinois Power Agency shall file with the Department, as part of the applicant's application, an equity and inclusion plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the procurement of renewable energy credits, provides that in addition to the amount of renewable energy credits to be procured from wind projects, the Illinois Power Agency shall procure at least 700,000 renewable energy credits, delivered annually for at least 20 years, from one new utility-scale offshore wind project. In provisions concerning the development of a long-term renewable resources procurement plan, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, and to no more than 4.5% of that amount as of the billing month following the expected date that a new utility-scale offshore wind project commences commercial operations and is expected to begin delivering power to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid. Provides that the Agency shall conduct at least one new utility-scale offshore wind procurement within 360 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administration Code of Illinois. Requires (instead of allows) the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to accept payment by credit card for any fee, fine, or other charge that it is authorized by law to collect. Requires (instead of allows) the Department to accept payment through a third-party payment agent of any fee, fine, or other charges to the Department.
Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that the State Treasurer may establish and administer a non-profit investment pool to supplement and enhance investment opportunities otherwise available to not-for-profit corporations in the State. Provides that the Treasurer may receive funds paid into the pool for the purpose of holding and investing those funds. Provides for surety bonds payable to not-for-profit corporations who participate in the pool. Makes changes to provisions concerning the direct deposit of State payments. Amends the Accountability for the Investment of Public Funds Act. Provides that the Treasurer shall adopt rules for the efficient administration of the pool. Provides that each State agency shall make available on the Internet, and update at least monthly, no later than the end of each month (rather than by the 15th of the month), sufficient information concerning the investment of any public funds held by that State agency to identify specified information. Effective immediately.
Amends the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. Provides that all higher education institutions shall include in the comprehensive policy concerning sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, information about how the higher education institution protects individuals who report from retaliation. Provides that the higher education institutions procedure for responding to a report shall also include protecting the survivor from retaliation, including a policy and process for early dismissal of any retaliatory claim by a respondent against a survivor, including, but not limited to, claims of defamation, harassment, bullying, and any other violation of policy claims where the actions alleged by the respondent are related to the survivor's report. Makes related changes in provisions concerning student notification of rights and options, confidential advisors, complaint resolution procedures, and campus training. Amends the Citizen Participation Act. Provides that a court shall not permit any person to pursue a defamation action to silence or retaliate against, a person reporting gender-based violence, including cases where the alleged perpetrator is publicly named. Provides that the exception to motions under this Act are when the acts are not genuinely aimed at procuring favorable government action, result, or outcome or when the plaintiff presents clear and convincing evidence that the reporting of gender-based violence constituted speaking with actual malice. Makes related changes.
Amends the Financial Institutions Code. Changes the name of the Code to the Financial Institutions Act. Makes conforming changes, including in the Collection Agency Act. Provides that the Division of Financial Institutions may receive and investigate complaints made about regulated persons; keep records of all registrations or other authorizations; issue orders and fines; require information or reports from regulated persons; examine activities, books, and records of regulated persons; defray operating and implementation expenses of administering the Act and other laws; enter into cooperative agreements; prescribe the forms of and receive applications or other authorizations and all reports, books, and records required to be made by regulated persons; subpoena documents and witnesses and administer oaths; appoint examiners, supervisors, experts, and special assistants; and investigate and take actions reasonably necessary to prohibit and stop unlicensed activity. Allows the Division to make and implement specified rules. Repeals provisions relating to the transfer of powers, rights, and duties from various former Departments to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides for a Director of the Division appointed by the Governor to report to the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that any Illinois circuit court may enter an order to enforce subpoenas issued by the Division. Requires regulated persons to maintain character and fitness to justify confidence of the public. Provides for the Secretary to enter into consent orders or settlement agreements with regulated persons. Provides exceptions for some forms of financial interest in any financial institutions under the Division's jurisdiction. Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act and the Payday Loan Reform Act. Provides that the Director may fine a person doing business without the required license. Amends the Currency Exchange Act. Provides that all rules and directions, which are of a general character, shall be made available in electronic form to all licensees within 10 days after filing and any changes shall be emailed (rather than mailed) to all licensees. Amends the Sales Finance Agency Act. Provides that the Department may deny an application for a sales finance agency license for any of the grounds listed in the Financial Institutions Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Removes a provision that the Act shall not apply to any employee who is covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement with an employer that provides services nationally and internationally of delivery, pickup, and transportation of parcels, documents, and freight. Provides that the definition of "employee" does not include an employee as defined in the Federal Employers' Liability Act.
Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Officials and Employees Money Disposition Act. Provides that examiners of unclaimed property that is reported and remitted to the State Treasurer and custodians contracted by the State of Illinois to hold presumptively abandoned securities or virtual currency may deduct fees prior to remittance. Amends the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. Changes the definition of property presumed to be abandoned to a corporate bond (rather than a state or municipal bond). Provides that the address of the owner of other property where ownership vests in a beneficiary upon the death of the owner is presumed to be the address of the deceased owner if the address of the beneficiary is not known by the holder and cannot be determined otherwise. Requires the administrator to publish notice twice every year (rather than once every 6 months). Provides that, if a holder cannot liquidate virtual currency and cannot otherwise cause virtual currency to be liquidated, the holder shall promptly notify the administrator in writing and explain the reasons why the virtual currency cannot be liquidated. Allows the administrator to direct the holder to either (1) transfer the virtual currency that cannot be liquidated to a custodian selected by the administrator or (2) continue to hold the virtual currency until the administrator or the holder determines that the virtual currency can be liquidated or there is an indication of apparent owner interest. Provides that a provision regarding void agreements does not apply to an apparent owner's agreement with a CPA firm or with an affiliate of such firm under certain conditions. Makes other changes.
Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Creates the Due Process for Youth Oversight Commission (Commission) to oversee the creation and implementation of a youth's statutory right to counsel in abuse and neglect proceedings conducted in accordance with the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Requires the Commission to provide direction and operational phases for implementation statewide, provide status reports and recommendations to the General Assembly regarding implementation, and provide ongoing implementation and program oversight for 5 years after statewide transition is completed. Contains provisions concerning the Commission's membership; term limits; scheduled meetings; data support provided by the Department of Children and Family Services; Commission duties; and the date of the Commission's dissolution. Amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act. Expands the rights afforded to every child placed in foster care to include the right to have a court appoint an attorney to represent the youth in any abuse or neglect case who will advocate for the youth's wishes and make recommendations to the court regarding the youth's care. Provides that this right applies to court proceedings pending or commenced on or after a date established by the Commission by administrative rule. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that immediately upon the filing of an abuse or neglect petition, the court shall appoint counsel for each minor who is the subject of that petition, unless the minor has already retained counsel. Provides that this requirement shall apply to court proceedings pending or commenced on or after a date established by the Commission by administrative rule. Provides that each respondent in any petition filed under the Act who is 8 years of age or older shall be furnished a written "Notice of Rights" at or before the first hearing at which the respondent appears. Provides that counsel appointed by a court to represent a minor in neglect or abuse proceedings shall have a minimum of one in-person contact with the minor prior to each hearing and at least one in-person contact every quarter. Effective immediately.
Mourns the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough.