Rep. Kam Buckner

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.

Creates the Justice40 Oversight Committee Act. Establishes the Justice40 Oversight Committee. Provides that the Justice40 Oversight Committee shall make findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding environmental justice in this State and uses of federal funds provided to the State for environmental justice. Requires the Justice40 Oversight Committee to submit reports delineating the Oversight Committee's findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the General Assembly by specified dates. Contains requirements for the appointment of voting and nonvoting members of the Oversight Committee. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that a hospital shall screen each uninsured patient for eligibility in State and federal health insurance programs, financial assistance offered by the hospital, and other public programs that may assist with health care costs and provide information about those programs. For an insured patient, requires the hospital to screen the patient for discounted care in specified circumstances. Provides that the screenings and all follow-up assistance must be culturally competent, in the patient's primary language, in plain language, and in an accessible format. Requires a hospital to implement an operational plan and trainings relating to screenings. Prohibits hospitals from pursuing collection actions against uninsured patients if they have not completed the screening requirements. Includes a prohibition on the sale of medical debt, limitations on collection actions, penalties for violating the Act's provisions, and defenses against collection actions pursued in violation of the provisions. Makes other changes. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Provides that a patient declining to apply for a public health insurance program on the basis of concern for immigration-related consequences shall not be grounds for denying financial assistance under a hospital's financial assistance policy.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that post-traumatic stress disorder is to be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and to be causally connected to the hazards of employment of a person employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT), or paramedic.

Amends the Illinois Diseased Animals Act. Provides that if the condition so warrants, the Director of Agriculture may declare a temporary prohibition on the sale, movement, or exhibition of certain types of animals in order to prevent or reduce the spread of any contamination or disease in the State. Provides that the declaration shall be for a period not to exceed 30 days, but the declaration may be extended in increments not to exceed 30 days if the condition so warrants.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to allow for the issuance of decals by the Department of Public Health for autism awareness license plate decals. Provides for the original and renewal fees and fee distribution for Universal special license plates with autism awareness decals issued by the Department.

Amends the Illinois Underground Natural Gas Storage Safety Act. Provides that, in the case of a verified facility release, the owner and operator of the underground natural gas storage facility is responsible for specified actions. Defines "verified facility release". Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Authorizes the extension of mutually agreed deadlines for the submittal of enforcement-related items. Allows notices, responses, and other items to be submitted or served on a person complained against or the Environmental Protection Agency not only by certified mail but also by personal service or a third-party commercial carrier that requires the receipt of that document to be acknowledged with the recipient's signature. Provides that, whenever a third-party commercial carrier requiring the recipient's signature is used, the date recorded by the third-party commercial carrier that the third-party commercial carrier received the item for delivery shall be deemed the date the item was submitted, and the date recorded by the third-party commercial carrier that the recipient signed for the item shall be deemed the date the item was received by the recipient. Requires records authenticated by a third-party commercial carrier to be considered competent evidence that an item was submitted or received if the item is sent by a third-party commercial carrier requiring the recipient's signature. 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 Vehicle Code. Provides that local authorities with respect to highways under their jurisdiction may also, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit the operation of trucks or other commercial vehicles, or may impose limitations as the weight, height, or length (rather than only weight) thereof, which prohibitions and limitations shall be marked by appropriate signs placed on such highways. Establishes that an agency or instrumentality of the State of Illinois or any unit of local government shall not be required to widen or otherwise alter a non-designated highway (regardless of its date of construction) to accommodate truck-tractor-semitrailer combinations. Provides that each unit of local government shall (rather than may) report to the Department of Transportation any limitations prohibiting the operation of vehicles imposed by ordinance or resolution in the unit of local government's non-designated highway system. Makes conforming changes.