Rep. Brad Stephens

Amends the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act. Provides that the powers of the Chicago Transit Board include the power to pass ordinances or adopt rules and regulations concerning the suspension of riding privileges or confiscation of fare media. Amends the Local Mass Transit District Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Provides that a local mass transit district's board and the Suburban Bus Board may adopt all ordinances and make all rules proper or necessary to regulate the use, operation, and maintenance of its property and facilities, and to carry into effect the powers granted to each board with any necessary fines or penalties, including ordinances, rules, or regulations concerning the suspension of riding privileges or confiscation of fare media, as each board deems proper. Includes similar provisions for the Chief of Police of the Metra Police Department.

Amends the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Defines "electronic smoking device". Changes the definition of "retail tobacco store" to include references to "electronic smoking devices". Provides that "smoke" or "smoking" includes the use of an electronic smoking device.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that in a county having a population of 3,000,000 or more, the county sheriff shall establish with other law enforcement agencies a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles via their installed existing global positioning systems, collaborate with vehicle manufacturers and dealers to provide information and assistance to law enforcement officers in the investigation of vehicle theft, and ensure that consumers are provided with information concerning the hotline and any new or used vehicle manufactured with a global positioning system by publishing the information in a conspicuous location on the county sheriff's website. Provides that the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall establish a hotline available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies exclusively for the purposes of law enforcement information sharing and the electronic tracking of vehicles stolen in vehicular hijacking incidents or that have been used in the commission of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted homicide, or homicide. Provides that the manufacturer's hotline shall relay vehicle location information, including real-time vehicle location information whenever possible, to the 9-1-1 call center or designated dispatch center for the responding agency, to the best of the manufacturer's technical capability. Requires State, county, and local law enforcement agencies to use their respective 9-1-1 system call centers or designated dispatch centers for the purpose of verification of law enforcement officers' identities and bona fide incident report numbers related to incidents. Requires manufacturers to prepare written statements detailing tracking and disabling system capabilities and make them available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies upon request. Requires that, if a vehicle is not subscribed to the manufacturer's tracking service, the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall waive all fees associated with initiating, renewing, reestablishing, or maintaining the location, disabling, or alert service with which the vehicle is equipped during a law enforcement response or investigation of specified offenses.

Amends the Officers and Employees Article of the Counties Code. Decreases the minimum number of inhabitants that must reside in a county for the county to be required to create the office of county auditor from 75,000 inhabitants to 70,000 inhabitants.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. In provisions concerning the performance of functions by the highway commissioner of a road district, provides that, except for professional services, when the cost of construction, materials, supplies, new machinery or equipment exceeds $30,000 (instead of $20,000), the contract for such construction, materials, supplies, machinery or equipment shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder if specified conditions are met. Effective immediately.

Amends the Local Government Debt Reform Act. Provides that an ordinance levying a tax for the payment of principal of and interest on general obligation bonds or limited bonds may be filed electronically with the county clerk. Effective immediately.

Amends the Secretary of State Act. Provides that, upon completion of the required study of age-related issues, the Secretary of State may adopt administrative rules to raise (instead of raise or lower) the age requirement for actual demonstrations of an applicant's ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor vehicle. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Innkeeper Protection Act. Provides that a proprietor or manager of a hotel may remove or cause to be removed from a hotel or refuse to admit or refuse service or accommodations to a guest or other person who violates specified provisions. Provides that if the guest has paid in advance, the innkeeper shall tender to the guest any unused portion of the advance payment at the time of removal. Provides that the amendatory provisions shall not be used as a pretext to discriminate against a guest on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall supplement all paper-based certificates, licenses, and authorities with a digitally-verified electronic credential. Provides that the Department may use a third-party electronic credential system. Provides that such electronic credential system shall include a verification system that is operated by the electronic credential agency or its agent on its behalf for the purpose of verifying the authenticity and validity of electronic credentials. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Allows the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leader of the Senate to appoint one member each to an advisory committee that determines which homes contain windows or doors that cause offensive odors and are eligible for replacement pursuant to the Residential Sound Insulation Program. Provides that residents who altered or modified a replacement window or accepted a replacement screen for the window as an interim solution or partial replacement that failed to mitigate, in whole or in part, an odorous or malfunctioning window shall not be disqualified from compensation or future services (rather than residents who altered or modified a replacement window or accepted a replacement screen for the window shall not be disqualified from compensation or future services). Provides that residents who have altered or modified a replacement window, or accepted a replacement screen for the window as an interim solution or partial replacement, who apply for future mitigation services shall be sequenced in the ordinary course of the Residential Sound Insulation Program upon a finding of eligibility. Provides at least 10% of the homes receiving a replacement in a year shall be homes that have demonstrated extreme hardship, except when at least 10% of the number of applicants eligible to receive a replacement fail to demonstrate extreme hardship. Provides that the advisory committee shall accept all public questions concerning the Residential Sound Insulation Program (rather than all public questions) and furnish a written response within 2 business days. Effective immediately.