Rep. Chris Miller

Mourns the passing of Elizabeth Ann Weidner of Dieterich.

Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that, before a fire protection district may close a fire station or dissolve the district, a response-time study must be conducted that shows, at a minimum, estimated response times to the territory currently served by the fire station or district and estimated response times to that territory after closure of the fire station or district. Requires a response-time study before any territory may be involuntarily disconnected or consolidated with another fire protection district or municipal fire department.

Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Provides that if a post, camp, unit, chapter, ship, or detachment of a military veterans organization serves more than one county, then it shall be permitted to select one delegate and one alternate for the Veterans Assistance Commission in each county in which at least 25% of its members reside. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that an owner or occupant seeking consent from a highway authority to construct ditches, drains, track, rails, poles, wires, pipe line or other equipment along any highway or road may appeal the authority's decision to deny consent to the county superintendent of highways by filing an appeal in the office of the district clerk within 10 days after receiving the written explanation of the decision. Provides that the county superintendent shall set a date for hearing a complaint and provide notice of the hearing to all persons interested. Provides that if the county superintendent of highways finds that a petition for ingress or egress is not inconsistent with public safety, the commissioner shall approve the petition. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that, in the case of township roads, the county superintendent of highways may either grant consent for construction or deny the application. Provides that the county superintendent of highways shall provide written confirmation, citing the basis of the decision, to both the highway commissioner and the applicant.

Creates the Agricultural Experiences Act. Provides that licenses are not required for anyone trying to provide an "agricultural experience" which is defined as any agriculture-related activity, as a secondary use in conjunction with agricultural production, on a farm which activity is open to the public with the intended purpose of promoting or educating the public about agriculture, agricultural practices, agricultural activities, or agricultural products.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, in a rural population of 7,500 or fewer inhabitants, each EMS System medical director shall create an exception to the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to serve as EMTs. Requires each EMS System medical director to accept documentation from an applicant detailing education from either continuing education or documented work experience and practical skill credentialing including, but not limited to, airway management, ambulance operations, extrication, telecommunications, and pre-hospital cardiac and trauma care. Requires each EMS System medical director to ensure that applicants meet EMS System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the practice in accordance with the EMS System Plan as an EMT. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, in a rural population of 5,000 or fewer inhabitants, each EMS System Medical Director may create an exception to the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to apply to serve as volunteers who perform the same work as EMTs. Requires that, as part of the volunteer recognition process, EMS Systems shall ensure that registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses have an active license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that the system-level recognition shall require documentation and proof of the completion of at least 20 hours of prehospital care-specific coursework approved by the Department of Public Health and 8 hours of observant riding time. Provides that each EMS System Medical Director who creates an exception to the credentialing process may require additional training or documentation and may reject a volunteer applicant for just cause. Provides that each exemption period shall be no longer than one year, after which time a volunteer applicant may apply for another exemption. Provides that each EMS System Medical Director is responsible for ensuring that volunteer applicants meet EMS System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the practice in accordance with the EMS System plan for basic life support. Provides that exceptions to the credentialing process are only allowable for volunteer EMS agencies in Illinois.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that vehicles of deputy fire chiefs and assistant fire chiefs may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 500 feet. Provides that deputy fire chiefs and assistant fire chiefs are eligible for fire chief license plates. Provides that any fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief operating warning devices upon a vehicle not owned by a municipality or fire protection district shall display fire chief license plates. Provides that, with the exception of permanently issued license plates, upon the resignation, termination, or reassignment to a rank other than fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief, a person issued fire chief license plates shall immediately surrender the license plate to the Secretary of State. Provides that the Secretary of State shall have the ability to recover the license plates.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, changes the ending date of the employment from no later than June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2026. Removes language requiring a school to advertise its vacancies in the subject shortage area in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the school is located. Provides that certain requirements related to advertising the vacancy in the subject shortage area and searching for teachers legally qualified to fill those vacancies through the Illinois Education Job Bank shall not apply to a school district replacing a teacher who is unable to continue employment with the school district because of illness, injury, or disability after being hired by a school district. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, changes the ending date of the employment from no later than June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2024 (rather than June 30, 2026). Provides that before hiring a teacher under the provisions, the school district must post all vacancies on the school district's website and list the vacancy in an online job portal or database. Provides that a school district replacing a teacher who is unable to continue employment with the school district because of documented illness, injury, or disability that occurred after being hired by a school district shall be exempt from the job-posting requirements for 90 school days. Requires the school district to comply with the job-posting requirements on an ongoing basis. Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 120 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the term "selling price" no longer includes the value of traded-in motor vehicles. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. In a Section concerning the use tax on motor vehicles, makes changes concerning the amount of the tax. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 625 ILCS 5/1-216.5 new 625 ILCS 5/3-819 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-819 625 ILCS 5/3-821 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-821 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2022, the term "selling price" no longer includes the value of traded-in motor vehicles. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "utility trailer". Provides for a flat weight trailer tax of $36 for utility trailers. Decreases the flat weight tax for Class TA trailers from $118 to $36. Increases the certificate of title fee for vehicles other than all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, motor homes, mini motor homes, and van campers from $150 to $155 and provides that the additional fee amount shall be deposited into the Road Fund. In a Section concerning the use tax on motor vehicles, makes changes concerning the amount of the tax. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Removes language including only trailers weighing between 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds within the TA trailer class, and restores language including all trailers weighing 3,000 pounds and less within the TA trailer class.

Amends the Downstate Police and Downstate Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that at any time during the 6 months following the effective date of the amendatory Act, an active member of a downstate firefighters' pension fund may apply for transfer to that fund of up to 8 years of his or her creditable service accumulated in a police pension fund that is administered by another unit of local government if that active member was not subject to disciplinary action when he or she terminated employment with that police department. Makes conforming changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that at any time during the 6 months following the effective date of the amendatory Act, an active member of a downstate firefighters' pension fund may apply for transfer to that fund of up to 8 years of his or her creditable service accumulated in a police pension fund that is administered by a unit of local government (rather than another unit of local government) if that active member was not subject to disciplinary action when he or she terminated employment with that police department. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.