Rep. Brandun Schweizer

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Creates within the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board a Recruitment Division. Provides that the Division shall establish a Back the Badge program, which shall establish recruitment plans for law enforcement agencies. Provides that the Division shall determine and prioritize specific characteristics that a law enforcement agency and community desire in their police officers. Provides that the Division shall cooperate with law enforcement agencies to determine a strategy to hire and retain sworn police officers who are diverse and reflective of the community and the priorities of the law enforcement agencies.

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Reenacts a provision concerning the Veterans' Service-Related Ailments Task Force repealed by Public Act 102-417. Changes the name of the Veterans' Service-Related Ailments Task Force to the Veterans' Services Task Force. Changes the frequency of Task Force meetings to at least twice a year and at any other times the Task Force deems necessary. Requires the Task Force to submit its report to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2025. Repeals the provisions creating the Task Force on December 31, 2026. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2024 and thereafter, the maximum reduction under the senior citizens homestead exemption is $8,000 in all counties (currently, $8,000 in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and counties that are contiguous to a county of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and $5,000 in all other counties). Provides that the maximum income limitation for the senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption is $75,000 (currently, $65,000). Effective immediately.

Amends the Motor Fuel Sales Act. Authorizes motor fuel blends containing 10.5% to 15% ethanol, by volume, to be sold in the State at any time during the year if permitted under federal law. Provides that, if a federal authorization must be obtained to provide for the year-round sale of those motor fuel blends, then the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall take all actions necessary to obtain the federal authorization on behalf of the State.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the State shall indemnify and hold harmless a board-certified forensic pathologist who has been appointed or designated by a county or a county coroner's office to perform autopsies for all of the pathologist's acts, omissions, decisions, or conduct arising out of the scope of the pathologist's duties of performing autopsies for the county, except those involving willful or wanton misconduct. Provides that indemnification shall be as provided under the State Employee Indemnification Act. Amends the State Employee Indemnification Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits the offense of trafficking in persons when the person knowingly: (1) maintains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, advertise or maintain by any means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected to prostitution or a commercial sex act; or (2) recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, advertises, or maintains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, advertise or maintain by any means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected to prostitution or a commercial sex act as a result of coercion. Provides that in determining sentences for human trafficking within statutory maximums, the sentencing court may provide for substantially increased sentences in cases involving more than 5 (rather than 10) victims. Changes the name of the offense of promoting prostitution to promoting or facilitating prostitution. Provides that a person commits the offense if the person: (1) owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service or conspires or attempts to do so, with the intent to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person; or (2) owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service or conspires or attempts to do so, with the intent to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person; and (A) promotes or facilitates the prostitution of 5 or more persons; or (B) acts in reckless disregard of the fact that such conduct contributed to sex trafficking in violation of the trafficking in persons law. Defines "interactive computer service". Amends various other Acts to make conforming changes.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act for a telecommunications carrier, in connection with any telecommunications service or voice over Internet protocol service, to transmit through any caller identification service misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. Provides that the Attorney General shall create and maintain a website that allows persons in the State who were transmitted misleading or inaccurate caller identification information through a telecommunications service or voice over Internet protocol service to report the incident to the Attorney General. Provides that the Attorney General shall use the information collected on the website to enforce the provision. Sets forth exceptions to the provision.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific stretch of Route 31 in Aurora as the "PFC Wayne W. Hill Jr. Memorial Highway" to honor a local soldier who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War. The legislation requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to install signs and plaques along the road to mark the new name. Copies of the resolution will be given to the soldier's family, the city mayor, and the state transportation secretary. The measure is a commemorative action that does not alter traffic laws or funding but serves to recognize the service of PFC Hill.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific stretch of Route 59 in West Chicago, Illinois, as the "SFC Theodore A. Katsoolias Memorial Highway" to honor a U.S. Army soldier who went missing during the Korean War. The legislation requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to install signs identifying the road with this new name and to present copies of the resolution to the soldier's family and local officials. By naming the highway after Sergeant First Class Katsoolias, the bill formally recognizes his service and sacrifice while creating a permanent public tribute in his hometown.

Condemns the violent behavior of the pro-Hamas protestors and encourages university officials to take immediate action against them. Urges the General Assembly to propose legislation that would withhold public funding from institutions of higher education that negotiate with anti-Semitic groups and for Governor JB Pritzker to sign that legislation into law.