Rep. Kam Buckner

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that fees for a coroner's or medical examiner's permit to cremate a human body is $100 (rather than $50). Provides that fees for a certified copy of a transcript of sworn testimony of a coroner's inquest made by written request declaring the request is for research or genealogy purposes is $15.00 for the entire transcript. Provides that a request shall be deemed a proper request for purpose of research or genealogy if the requested inquest occurred not less than 20 years prior to the date of the written request and that the transcript shall be stamped with the words "FOR GENEALOGY OR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY". Provides that a coroner may waive, at his or her discretion, fees if the coroner determines that the person is indigent and unable to pay the permit fee or under other special circumstances as determined by the coroner.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Establishes the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program as a part of the College Savings Pool (currently, not a part of the College Savings Pool), subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. Requires the Department of Public Health and the Department of Revenue to provide the State Treasurer with specified information concerning eligible children under the Program. Modifies provisions concerning seed funds, unclaimed seed funds, and incentives and partnerships. Establishes the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury (currently, held outside of the State treasury). Allows the State Treasurer to deposit up to $10,000,000 into the Fund from earnings generated from investment and safekeeping of funds in the State treasury. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the Director of Revenue may exchange information with the State Treasurer's Office for the purpose of administering the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program. Amends the State Finance Act to provide for the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program Fund. Modifies defined terms. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Electric Vehicle Charging Act. Provides that the Act applies to new or renovated residential or nonresidential buildings with parking. Provides that a new or renovated residential building is required to have a certain percentage, based on the number of units in the residential building, of its total parking spaces either electric vehicle ready or electric vehicle capable. Provides that a new or renovated nonresidential building is required to have 30% of its total parking spaces electric vehicle ready. Provides various requirements related to electric vehicle charging stations for unit owners. Provides various requirements related to electric vehicle charging systems for renters.

Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Provides that an employee is entitled to recover damages of 5% (rather than 2%) of the amount of any underpayments in wages for each month following the date of payment during which such underpayments remain unpaid. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a buy-in program to allow persons 60 years of age or older, who are otherwise ineligible for medical assistance, to receive medical assistance coverage for dental, hearing, and vision services. Requires the Department to apply for any federal waiver or State Plan amendment, if required, to implement the buy-in program. Provides that implementation of the buy-in program shall be contingent on federal approval. Provides that upon receipt of federal approval, if required, the Department shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the buy-in program.

Creates the Right to Know Act. Provides that an operator of a commercial website or online service that collects personally identifiable information through the Internet about individual customers residing in Illinois who use or visit its commercial website or online service shall notify those customers of certain specified information pertaining to its personal information sharing practices. Requires an operator to make available certain specified information upon disclosing a customer's personal information to a third party, and to provide an e-mail address or toll-free telephone number whereby customers may request or obtain that information. Provides for a data protection safety plan. Provides for a right of action to customers whose rights are violated under the Act. Provides that any waiver of the provisions of the Act or any agreement that does not comply with the applicable provisions of the Act shall be void and unenforceable. Provides that no provision of the Act shall be construed to conflict with or apply to certain specified provisions of federal law or certain interactions with State or local government. Provides findings and purpose. Defines terms.

Creates the Vocational Academy Opportunity Act. Creates 2 vocational academies, one located in Cook County and the other in a downstate county, which shall be residential institutions. Provides that each academy shall be a State agency, funded by State appropriations, private contributions, and endowments. Provides that the academies shall be governed by a single Board of Trustees for the collective operation and oversight of the academies. Provides for the membership of the Board. Specifies the duties and powers of the Board. Provides that each academy shall be empowered to lease or purchase real and personal property on commercially reasonable terms for the use by the academy. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (State Board of Education) House Bill 27 (H-AM 1) would increase the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) gap to adequacy. EBF provides funding to two existing laboratory schools. Based on the fiscal year 2019 EBF calculations, the Final Adequacy Target for the two existing non-residential laboratory schools, adjusted for regionalization, averaged nearly $10,700 per student. This fiscal note assumes that each new vocational academy would have an average student enrollment of 250 students per grade or 750 per school. Based on the FY19 EBF calculations mentioned above, the estimated state resources needed for the EBF formula would be $7.2 million for each vocational school to be funded at 90% adequacy for a total of $14.4 million. The bill does not provide a mechanism for the new school districts to receive a Base Funding Minimum from EBF for the new vocational schools. This bill would also impact EBF Tier funding amounts received by other school districts in the future as a result of reduced enrollment for a school district that has a pupil enroll in one of the new vocational academies. The bill also has an inconsistency with the definition Of "Average Student Enrollment" in Section 18-8.15 of the School Code. This estimate does not include construction costs nor the operational costs of housing students in a residential facility as the bill authorizes the school districts to use a cost recovery fee for these costs. The fiscal impact to the Illinois State Board of Education's operating budget cannot be determined at this time but there will be operational costs to comply with the provisions of House Bill 27 (H-AM 1). Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (State Board of Education) House Bill 27 (H-AM 2) creates the Vocational Academy Opportunity Act and four public vocational academies which shall also be residential institutions. The bill provides that each academy shall be its own school district and funded as a laboratory school from the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula The local capacity percentage for these new vocational academies in the EBF formula would be set at 10% in the absence of local tax resources. House Bill 27 (H-AM 2) would increase the EBF gap to adequacy. EBF provides funding to two existing laboratory schools. Based on the fiscal year 2019 EBF calculations, the Final Adequacy Target for the two existing non-residential laboratory schools, adjusted for regionalization, averaged nearly $I0,700 per student. This fiscal note assumes that each new vocational academy would have an average student enrollment of 250 students per grade or 750 per school. Based on the FY19. EBF calculations mentioned above, the estimated state resources needed for the EBF formula would be $7.2 million for each vocational school to be funded at 90% adequacy for a total of $28.8 million. The bill does not provide a mechanism for the new school districts to receive a Base Funding Minimum from EBF for the new vocational schools. This bill would also impact EBF Tier funding amounts received by other school districts in the future as a result of reduced enrollment for a school district that has a pupil enroll in one of the new vocational academies. The bill also has an inconsistency with the definition of "Average Student Enrollment" in Section 18-8.15 of the School Code. This estimate does not include construction costs nor the operational costs of housing students in a residential facility as the bill authorizes the school districts to use a cost recovery fee for these costs. The fiscal impact to the Illinois State Board of Education's operating budget cannot be determined at this time but there will be operational costs to comply with the provisions of House Bill 27 (H-AM 2).

Urges the General Assembly to consider developing a campaign finance reform structure and implementing it specifically in regard to elections for the Chicago Board of Education. Encourages members of the Illinois General Assembly to work with city officials and interested members of the Chicago Public Schools community to develop legislation that may be introduced after the creation of an elected Chicago Board of Education.

Creates the Racial Impact Note Act. Provides that every bill which has or could have a disparate impact on racial and ethnic minorities, upon the request of any member, shall have prepared for it, before second reading in the house of introduction, a brief explanatory statement or note that shall include a reliable estimate of the anticipated impact on those racial and ethnic minorities likely to be impacted by the bill. Specifies the contents and provides for the preparation of each racial impact note. Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Prohibits racial discrimination and harassment by State officers and employees. Provides that each State officer and employee shall annually complete a racial bias, discrimination, and harassment training program approved by the appropriate jurisdictional authority. Expands the jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission to include allegations of racial discrimination and harassment by persons registered under the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that the personnel policies of units of local government shall prohibit racial discrimination and harassment. Defines "racial discrimination and harassment". Provides for rulemaking, including emergency rulemaking. Amends the Secretary of State Act. Provides the Secretary of State's Inspector General with jurisdiction to investigate complaints of racial discrimination and harassment by persons registered under the Lobbyist Registration Act. Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Prohibits racial discrimination and harassment by persons registered under the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that each registered lobbyist shall annually complete a racial bias, discrimination, and harassment training program approved by the Secretary of State. Defines "racial discrimination and harassment". Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Requires the Department of Human Rights to establish a racial discrimination and harassment hotline for the anonymous reporting of racial discrimination and harassment in both public and private places of employment, and to provide for reporting by both telephone and Internet. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the evidence-based funding provisions of the School Code. Provides that funds received by the Chicago school district for low-income, English learner, and special education resources must be distributed to every school of the district in the appropriate amount specified under the Essential Elements component of the funding formula. Makes technical changes having a revisory function. Effective July 1, 2020.