Rep. Brad Halbrook

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires specified personnel of a child care facility to be present at the open or close of the facility. Provides that early childhood teachers shall meet specified qualifications. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt rules on the qualifications of persons directly responsible for the care and welfare of children served in accordance with the qualifications for early childhood teachers. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that if, at the time of enrollment, a dependent of United States military personnel is housed in temporary housing located outside of a school district, but will be living within the district within 6 months (instead of within 60 days), the dependent must be allowed to enroll and must not be charged tuition. Provides that United States military personnel shall provide proof within 6 months (instead of within 60 days) after the time of enrollment that the dependent will be living within the district. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. For vacancies for abandonment and other causes in municipalities with a population under 500,000, removes language providing that the corporate authorities have the authority to determine whether a vacancy has occurred and, if the corporate authorities determine that a vacancy exists, the office is deemed vacant as of the date of that determination. Effective immediately.

Creates the COVID-19 Religious Exemption Act. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner because of such person's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to his or her belief. Requires all health care facilities to adopt written access to care and information protocols that are designed to ensure that belief-based objections do not cause impairment of patients' health and that explain how belief-based objections will be addressed in a timely manner to facilitate patient care. Provides that it is unlawful for any public or private employer, entity, agency, institution, official, or person to deny admission because of, to place any reference in its application form concerning, to orally question about, to impose any burdens in terms or conditions of employment on, or to otherwise discriminate against, any applicant, in terms of employment, admission to or participation in any programs for which the applicant is eligible, or to discriminate in relation thereto, in any other manner, on account of the applicant's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination that is against the applicant's beliefs. Provides that it is unlawful for any public official, guardian, agency, institution, or entity to deny any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or to condition the reception in any way of any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or in any other manner to coerce, disqualify, or discriminate against any person, otherwise entitled to such aid, assistance, or benefits, because that person refuses to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to the person's belief. Allows any person injured by any public or private person, association, agency, entity, or corporation by reason of any action prohibited by the Act to bring an action. Provides that a person who brings an action shall recover threefold the actual damages, the costs of the action, and reasonable attorney's fees, but in no case shall recovery for each violation be less than $2,500 plus costs of the action and reasonable attorney's fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that the Invest in Kids credit applies permanently (currently, the credit applies for taxable years ending before January 1, 2023). Effective immediately.

Creates the Fund the Police Act. Creates the Fund the Police Grant Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that from appropriations to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from the Fund, the Board must make grants to units of local government and Illinois public universities for the purpose of: (1) hiring law enforcement officers; (2) providing mental health care for law enforcement officers; (3) providing for hiring, retention incentives, and overtime payments for law enforcement officers; (4) purchasing public safety equipment designed to prevent gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband; and (5) training for law enforcement officers in preventing gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband. Provides that moneys in the Fund the Police Grant Fund may not be appropriated, assigned, or transferred to another State fund. Provides that, as soon as practical after the effective date of the Act, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer the sum of $100,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Fund the Police Grant Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Housing Authorities Act. Provides that each person considered or recommended for appointment as a commissioner of a Housing Authority shall complete an application prior to his or her appointment. Requires the application to include a question concerning whether the person has been convicted of or found to be a child sex offender. Provides that no presiding officer of any municipality or county and no governing body of the unit of local government shall knowingly consider for appointment a person who has been convicted of or found to be a child sex offender, and shall remove such person from consideration upon discovery of the offense. Requires any commissioner of a Housing Authority to immediately disclose his or her conviction for a child sex offense to the presiding officer and governing body. Requires each person considered or recommended for appointment as a commissioner of a Housing Authority to authorize a criminal history investigation to determine if he or she has been convicted of specified criminal or drug offenses. Requires the Department of State Police to conduct the criminal history investigation, upon request, for a fee charged to the municipality or county that requested the investigation. Requires the Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to furnish the results of the investigation to the presiding officer and governing body of the unit of local government. Provides that any information or criminal records obtained by the presiding officer and the governing body shall be confidential. Provides that no presiding officer or governing body shall knowingly appoint or approve the appointment of any person who has been convicted of specified criminal or drug offenses. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that an assistant State's Attorney shall be named in writing by the State's Attorney of the county (rather than assistant State's Attorneys are to be named by the State's Attorney of the county). Provides that, when the public interest so requires special assistant State's Attorneys in any county, the number of such special assistants shall be determined by the county board and the salaries of such special assistants shall be fixed by the State's Attorney subject to budgetary limitations established by the county board and paid out of the county treasury in quarterly annual installments on the order of the county board on the treasurer of said county. Provides that the special assistant State's Attorneys shall be named in writing by the State's Attorney of the county, and, when so appointed, shall take the oath of office in the same manner as State's Attorneys and shall be under the supervision of the State's Attorney (rather than the State's Attorney may appoint qualified attorneys to assist as Special Assistant State's Attorneys when the public interest so requires). Effective immediately.

Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Provides that neither the Treasurer nor the Comptroller shall authorize payment of any increase in salary for a member of the General Assembly, including cost of living adjustment increases, as compared to a prior year, without the General Assembly voting on such increase in a stand alone appropriations bill. Provides that a member of the General Assembly who has held office any part of a month, but not for the entire month, is entitled to compensation only for those days during that month that he or she held office (currently, entitled to compensation for the entire month). Provides that no allowance for meals shall be provided to members of the General Assembly for any given day if meals have been provided to members on that day at the place of their meeting, without charge to the members, and the cost of the meal was paid for through any budget authority associated with the House, Senate, or State of Illinois. Effective immediately.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that if a change is made concerning regular meeting dates, times, or locations (currently, only change in dates), at least 10 days' notice of such change shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which such body functions. Provides that at least 10 days' notice of a change made in regular meeting dates, times, or locations may also be provided on the website of the public body in addition to providing notice in a newspaper, or in lieu of providing notice in a newspaper if there is no such newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the public body functions.