Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer who is a family caregiver is eligible to receive a nonrefundable income tax credit in an amount equal to 100% of the eligible expenditures incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year related to the care of an eligible family member, but not exceed $1,500 for the same eligible family member. Provides that the term "eligible family member" means a person who: (1) is at least 18 years of age during a taxable year; (2) requires assistance with at least one activity of daily living; (3) is a resident of the State; and (4) is related to the family caregiver. Effective immediately. Correctional Note (Dept of Corrections) There is no fiscal or population impact on the department. Pension Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 2974 amends the Illinois Income Tax Act in a way that does impact any pension system. Judicial Note (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) This legislation would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the State of Illinois. State Debt Impact Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) This bill would not change the amount of authorization for any type of State-issued or State-supported bond, and, therefore, would not affect the level of State indebtedness. Land Conveyance Appraisal Note (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in this bill; therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. Housing Affordability Impact Note (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State mandate Home Rule Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not pre-empt home rule authority. Balanced Budget Note (Office of Management and Budget) Please be advised that the Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to this bill, as it is not a supplemental appropriation that increases or decreases appropriations. Under the Act, a balanced budget note must be prepared only for bills that change a general funds appropriation for the fiscal year in which the new bill is enacted. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Revenue) The fiscal impact of HB 2974 would be a reduction in income tax revenue by an estimated $870 million to $1.74 Billion per year depending on the assumed claim rate. This estimate is based on data from the AARP "Caregiving in the US" 2015 report. From there we estimate that there are 1.36 Million caregivers caring for an adult in Illinois. Following the bill's language, we reduce that number to account only for those caring for an eligible family member. Based on the same data source we arrive to 1.16 Million caregivers that may qualify for this tax credit. When we apply the credit amount of $1,500 per qualified taxpayers to this latest figure, the result is $1.74 Billion in cost to the state - the upper limit of our estimate. The lower limit of the estimate accounts for the fact that in approximately 33% of the cases there is not a sole caregiver (based on the same data source). It also assumes that only 3 out of every 4 qualified taxpayers will claim the credit. For these two reasons in the lower limit we reduce the cost estimate to $870 Million per year, which is 50% of the upper limit. The definition of eligible expenditures is very broad, including costs associated with improvements or alterations to the family residence to permit an eligible family member to remain mobile, safe, and independent; the cost to purchase or lease equipment necessary to assist an eligible family member in carrying on one or more activities of daily living; and the cost of other goods and services that assist in providing care, including personal care attendants, transportation, and legal and financial services. For this reason, we believe that it is reasonable to expect that taxpayers may easily reach to the full credit amount of $1,500 that the bill establishes. For comparison purposes, consider that there are almost 1.6 million returns clarifying retirement income in the state (according to the latest available return data, FY16). This group of taxpayers would likely be the main beneficiary of this bill proposal. This fact reinforces our findings. Furthermore, data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid off ice indicates that the home health care cost in Illinois is around $4.2 Billion annually. This additional fact further strengthens our estimated cost range.
Sponsored bills
Supports and endorses the Martin McGuinness Principles calling for Equality, Respect, Truth, and Self-Determination for the North of Ireland.
Amends the Downstate Teachers and State Universities Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Requires an employer to make an additional employer contribution for a participant whose earnings for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earnings exceed the amount of his or her earnings with the same employer for the previous academic year by more than 6% (instead of 3%). Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Mourns the death of John Terence Tretter of Edwardsville.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes language providing that Medicaid rates for supportive living facilities effective on July 1, 2018 must be equal to the rates in effect for supportive living facilities on June 30, 2018. Provides that the Medicaid rates for supportive living services on and after July 1, 2019 must be equal to 60% of the average total nursing facility services per diem for the geographic areas defined by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Provides that for supportive living facilities specializing in dementia care, the rate must be 72% instead of 60%. Requires the Medicaid rates for supportive living services to be updated whenever the total nursing facility service per diems are updated. Requires the Department to delink the per diem rate paid for supportive living facility services from the per diem rate paid for nursing facility services, effective for services provided on or after May 1, 2011 through June 30, 2019 (rather than effective for services provided on or after May 1, 2011). Effective immediately.
Urges the Illinois Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives to create a joint legislative cancer caucus, to be known as the Illinois Legislative Cancer Caucus, to provide a forum for discussing and evaluating public policies affecting cancer research, treatment, education, and prevention efforts.
Supports the accreditation of an additional NCI-designated cancer center in Illinois.
Amends the State Revenue Sharing Act. Provides that each school district having Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund receipts totaling 13% or more of its total revenues in the previous fiscal year shall receive an additional amount equal to 11% of the total amount distributed to the school district from the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund. Requires the State Board of Education to identify those school districts to the Department of Revenue. Provides that the total amount of additional distributions shall not exceed $4,353,136. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: (1) provides that school districts having Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund receipts totaling 13% or more of their total revenues in fiscal year 2018 are entitled to the additional distribution (in the introduced bill, the eligibility of districts is determined each fiscal year); (2) provides that the additional distribution shall be made only in fiscal year 2020 and shall be 19% (in the introduced bill, 11%) of the total amount distributed to the school district from the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund during fiscal year 2018; and (3) provides that the total amount of additional distributions shall not exceed $4,769,101 (in the introduced bill, $4,353,136). Effective immediately.
Declares the week of April 21-27, 2019 as Independent Order of Odd Fellows Week.
Amends the Wildlife Code. Permits hunting with a rifle for the taking of deer. Provides that rifle hunting permits issued by the Department of Natural Resources shall be approved by county ordinance. Provides that notwithstanding any provision of the Code, it is unlawful to take a deer with a rifle in a county of the State with a population of 500,000 or more. Defines "rifle" as any firearm designed, made, or adapted to be fired from the shoulder that uses the energy of an explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire a projectile through a rifled bore by a single function of the trigger. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 520 ILCS 5/2.32a new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with changes. Provides that legal handguns and rifles include any bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with a case length not exceeding 1.4 inches or any straight walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger both of which must be available as a load with the published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. Deletes language that provides that notwithstanding any provision of the Code, it is unlawful to take a deer with a rifle in a county of the State with a population of 500,000 or more.