Rep. Carol Ammons

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the purpose of a person being placed in an electronic home detention program instead of being sentenced to a term of imprisonment is to facilitate rehabilitation and a person's continued participation in employment, education programs, family, community, and religious activities. Provides that only the court may place a person in an electronic home detention program. Provides that a person placed in an electronic home detention program shall: (1) be allowed 8 hours a day of movement outside the home, unless there is a reduction of movement due to a disciplinary infraction validated at a parole, probation, conditional discharge, or court hearing; (2) not receive lifetime imposition of electronic home detention; (3) receive an annual review of his or her electronic home detention status by the supervising authority; (4) if as a condition of a pre-trial release program receive full or partial credit for time served for the days spent on electronic home detention; and (5) not be charged a fee during pretrial release, mandatory supervised release, or as a sentence in lieu of incarceration. Provides that a person placed on electronic home detention may appeal to the circuit court if he or she is denied to leave the premises of his or her residence for specific reasons.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. With respect to a parent's or community resident's eligibility to serve on the local school council of an attendance center, allows a parent or community resident who is employed by the Chicago Board of Education and who is assigned to work at one or more attendance centers to serve as a member of the local school council as long as he or she is not assigned to spend the majority of his or her employment at the attendance center for which he or she is to serve as a local school council member (instead of prohibiting any employee of the Board from serving as a parent or community resident member). Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Removes provisions providing the Secretary of State authority to cancel a license or permit of a person who has failed to pay fees owed to the Illinois Commerce Commission or has been convicted of a sex offense as defined in the Sex Offender Registration Act. Removes a provision providing that the reporting requirements for public officials to the Secretary shall apply to a truant minor in need of supervision, an addicted minor, or a delinquent minor whose driver's license has been ordered suspended. Provides that the Secretary may suspend or revoke the license or permit of someone who has been convicted of violating a provision in the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 relating to criminal trespass of vehicles if the violation involves operating the vehicle. Removes various provisions allowing the Secretary to suspend or revoke an individual's license or permit. Provides that a person who, based on the changes in the bill, becomes eligible for a driver's license, State identification card, or permit, may petition the Secretary for reinstatement of his or her license, identification card, or permit. Removes other provisions. Repeals Sections concerning suspension of a driver's license of a person convicted of theft of motor fuel and suspension of driving privileges for failure to satisfy fines or penalties for toll violations or evasions. Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Illinois New Business Owner Act. Provides that no application for a license for any State or local department, agency, board, or commission shall be denied or acted on adversely by reason of the applicant having been previously convicted of one or more criminal offenses or by reason of a finding of lack of good moral character, except if certain determinations are made. Provides certain factors to be considered concerning a previous criminal conviction. Effective immediately.

Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that any open meeting of the board of trustees of a retirement system or pension fund or any committee established by a retirement system or pension fund must be broadcast to the public and maintained in real-time on the retirement system's or pension fund's website using a high-speed Internet connection. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that each person applying at a driver services facility for a driver's license or permit, a corrected driver's license or permit, an Illinois identification card or a corrected Illinois identification card shall be notified that the person shall be registered (rather than may apply to register) to vote, and if his or her address has changed, his or her voter registration information shall be updated (rather than may be transferred upon application) to the new address within this State. Provides that the person may decline to register to vote and the employee or the Secretary of State shall not transmit the person's information to the applicable election authority.

Urges the U.S. Departments of Education, juvenile court officials, and other legal legislative and court staff to review current laws and policies related to exclusionary discipline practices in public schools for students in prekindergarten through kindergarten who have committed non-violent offenses.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that no person shall cause or allow the storage or disposal of coal combustion waste over any United States Environmental Protection Agency Designated Sole Source Aquifer or within the limits of that aquifer's recharge area, nor cause or allow the use of coal combustion waste as cover for any waste disposal site located over any Designated Sole Source Aquifer or within the limits of that aquifer's recharge area, except when coal combustion waste is deposited on power plant property in a legally-permitted cell or impoundment associated with a power plant operating with valid permits. Provides, however, that once the power plant is closed, all coal combustion waste shall be removed and relocated to a location outside the Designated Sole Source Aquifer and placed in a lined facility or landfill designed according to scientifically-proven best practices and an Agency-approved closure plan. Provides that no person shall cause or allow the storage or disposal of coal combustion waste outside a Designated Sole Source Aquifer or a United States Designated Sole Source Aquifer's recharge area, unless specified conditions apply (currently, the specified conditions apply to all persons that cause or allow the storage or disposal of coal combustion waste). Makes a conforming change and other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a retirement system or investment board created under the State Employee, State Universities, Downstate Teachers, Chicago Teachers, or the Board of Investment Article may not enter into a contract for lobbying services with a lobbyist who represents another retirement system or investment board created under one of those Articles. Defines "lobbying" and "lobbyist". Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act. Defines "auditing official", "employee", "improper governmental action", and "retaliation". Provides that it is prohibited for a unit of local government, any agent or representative of a unit of local government, or another employee to retaliate against an employee who (1) reports an improper governmental action, (2) cooperates with an investigation by an auditing official related to a report of improper governmental action, or (3) testifying in a proceeding or prosecution arising out of an improper governmental action if the employee files a report with the auditing official regarding improper governmental action. Provides that the reports are confidential as allowed by law. Provides for procedures for the auditing official to process reports. Provides for remedies available to an employee who has been subject of an improper governmental action. Provides for penalties for retaliation against a report of improper governmental action. Amends the Personnel Record Review Act. Provides that records of disciplinary action must be kept for 10 years rather than 4 years.