Rep. Brad Stephens

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Prohibits, until February 1, 2027, the Chicago Board of Education from closing any attendance center within the school district that has selective admission requirements that are approved by the Board. Prohibits, until February 1, 2027, the Board from changing the standards for admission to any attendance center within the school district that has selective admission requirements that are approved by the Board. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, the Board may not take any action, until February 1, 2027, that results in a decrease in either the total amount or percentage of funds allocated to an attendance center within the school district that has selective admission requirements that are approved by the Board. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough.

Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that all witness slips filed in either house of the General Assembly concerning proposed legislation during the General Assembly committee hearing process shall track along with the legislation for which it was filed should such legislation be removed on to another bill, by amendment, for purposes of legislative action. Provides that the General Assembly, in consultation with the Legislative Information System, shall provide for such witness slip tracking on the Illinois General Assembly website. Amends the Legislative Information System Act. Provides that the Legislative Information System shall provide for electronic tracking of all witness slips to track along with the legislation for which it was filed should such legislation be removed on to another bill.

Amends the Fire Protection District Act and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that municipalities and fire protection districts may fix, charge, and collect reasonable fees from independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, nursing home facilities, or other similar congregate care facilities for all lift-assist services rendered by a fire department, firefighter, emergency response unit, public safety employee of a municipal department, or fire protection district in connection with providing lift-assist services to a patient or other individual. Provides that the fees may not exceed the actual personnel and equipment costs for all services rendered by the municipality or fire protection district in connection with providing lift-assist services to a patient or other individual. Provides that the municipality or fire protection district may require a facility to enter into a written agreement to reimburse the municipality or fire protection district for the costs of injuries suffered at the facility by municipal or district personnel when providing lift-assist services, including, but not limited to, costs of medical treatment, payments required under the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act, disability payments, and pension payments for injured personnel, but provides that any such agreement does not relieve the municipality or fire protection district of a statutory or contractual obligation it may have to its employees for an injury suffered relating to lift-assist services rendered. Contains provisions relating to third-party claims and intervention in a suit relating to claims made by a municipal or fire protection district employee for an injury suffered relating to lift-assist services rendered.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that an elected or appointed member of a public body of a township may satisfy specified training requirements of the Act by participating in a course of training sponsored or conducted by an organization that represents townships created under the Township Code. Specifies the contents of the course of training. Provides that if an organization that represents townships provides a course of training, it must provide a certificate of course completion to each elected or appointed member of a public body who successfully completes that course of training.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, beginning in taxable year 2024, no taxing district, other than a home rule unit, may levy a tax on any parcel of real property that is more than 105% of the base amount unless (i) the increase is attributable to substantial improvements to the property, (ii) the taxing district did not levy a tax against the property in the previous taxable year, or (iii) the increase is attributable to a special service area. Provides that "base amount" means the tax levied by the taxing district on the subject property in the immediately preceding taxable year, except that, if the property received a homestead exemption in the immediately preceding taxable year and is not eligible for that exemption in the current taxable year, then the base amount shall be the tax that would have been levied by the taxing district on the subject property in the immediately preceding taxable year if the homestead exemption had not been applied. Provides that a taxing district may elect to be exempt from those provisions for one or more taxable years if the exemption is approved by referendum. Effective immediately.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Includes trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and involuntary sexual servitude of a minor in the definition of "sex offense" under the Act.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Extends the estimated date of completion of a redevelopment project and the retirement of obligations issued to finance redevelopment project costs for an ordinance adopted on October 16, 2000 by the Village of Franklin Park to create the Downtown Franklin Avenue redevelopment project area. Effective immediately.

Creates the Human Trafficking Order of Protection Act. Provides that the following persons may bring an action under the Act: (1) a person who is a victim of human trafficking regardless of the relationship between the victim and the trafficker; or (2) a person on behalf of a minor child or an adult who has been the victim of human trafficking. Establishes procedures on how to commence actions for human trafficking, including independently, in conjunction with another civil proceeding, or in conjunction with a delinquency petition or a criminal prosecution. Establishes further procedures in relation to filing fees and dismissal and consolidation. Provides that the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts may adopt rules to establish a pilot program to allow for electronic filing of petitions for temporary orders of protection and issuance of orders by audio-visual means. Establishes the applicability of the rules of civil procedure including venue, objections, and summons. Provides for specified remedies.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes an affirmative defense to the charge of patronizing a minor engaged in prostitution that the accused reasonably believed that the person was of the age of 18 years or over or was not a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability at the time of the act giving rise to the charge.