Rep. Kevin Schmidt

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a member may establish optional credit for up to 2 years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, provided that the teacher (i) was certified under the law governing the certification of teachers at the time the service was rendered, (ii) applies in writing on or before June 30, 2028 (instead of June 30, 2023), (iii) supplies satisfactory evidence of the employment, (iv) completes at least 10 years of contributing service as a teacher, and (v) pays the required contribution. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires every driver who applies for employment with a transportation provider under contract with the Department of Children and Family Services to have his or her fingerprints submitted to the Illinois State Police in an electronic format that complies with the form and manner for requesting and furnishing criminal history record information as prescribed by the Illinois State Police. Provides that such fingerprints shall be transmitted through a live scan fingerprint vendor licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and shall be checked against the fingerprint records filed in the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases, including, but not limited to, civil, criminal, and latent fingerprint databases. Requires the Illinois State Police to charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records check that does not exceed the actual cost of the records check. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification, records of Illinois convictions and shall forward the national criminal history record information to the Department of Children and Family Services. Requires every driver to submit, as a condition of employment, a signed written statement certifying that he or she has consented to and completed a fingerprint-based criminal history records check in accordance with the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Massage Licensing Act. Provides that for the initial renewal of the massage license which requires continuing education, as prescribed by rule, one hour of the continuing education shall include domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education as prescribed by rule of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides for every subsequent renewal of a license, one hour of the continuing education may include domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education as prescribed by rule of the Department. Provides that the one-hour domestic violence and sexual assault awareness continuing education course shall be provided by a continuing education provider approved by the Department. Provides that the Department may prescribe rules regarding the requirements for domestic violence and sexual assault awareness continuing education courses and teachers.

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that sex-reassignment procedures are prohibited for patients younger than 18 years of age. Provides that if sex-reassignment procedures are administered or performed on patients 18 years of age or older, consent must be provided as specified. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall revoke the license of any physician who willfully or actively violates the prohibition on sex-reassignment procedures for patients younger than 18 years of age. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act and the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act. Adds a failure to comply with the provisions as grounds for fines, license denial, license suspension or revocation, or refusal to renew a hospital or facility's license. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for custodians of qualifying pupils for eligible education expenses related to online learning, including computers, printers, internet access, textbooks, tutors, and educational facilitators. Provides for an additional credit if the custodian is also an eligible teacher. Creates an income tax credit for employers of custodians of qualifying pupils for eligible expenditures paid by the employer on behalf of the custodian. Provides that the credit is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for services provided under the Family Caregiver Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that, if a person is arrested in any county and the prosecutor files criminal charges based on that arrest and warrants for arrest issued by any other Illinois county exist for that person, then the court in the arresting county shall first hold, for that person, a detention hearing or other conditions of release hearing for the newly filed charges. Provides that, if a person has a warrant in another county for an offense, then, no later than 5 calendar days after the end of any detention issued on the charge in the arresting county, the county in which the warrant is outstanding may authorize the person's release from custody pursuant to a notice to appear in court in the issuing county on a date and time provided by the court in the issuing county. Makes other changes in these cases.

Creates the College Insurance Program Task Force to study the College Insurance Program and present policy and legislative recommendations to the General Assembly to ensure the program remains a viable and healthy benefit.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, in matters a sheriff deems essential to preventing or assisting with disasters or events of civil disorder, the sheriff may authorize plain clothes to be worn by auxiliary deputies as long as the auxiliary deputies are carrying proper identification while performing this function. Provides that auxiliary deputies may only carry firearms while in the performance of their assigned duties (rather than while in uniform and in the performance of their assigned duties).