Rep. Justin Slaughter

Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act. Provides that a landlord shall not require a tenant or prospective tenant to remit any amount due to the landlord under a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement by means of an electronic funds transfer, including, but not limited to, an electronic funds transfer system that automatically transfers funds on a regular, periodic, and recurring basis. Provides that, beginning 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a violation is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Applies to leases or agreements executed after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging and the Illinois Public Aid Code by changing all references to the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to the Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Amends the Illinois False Claims Act. Removes references to the Illinois State Police from the definition of "investigator". Provides that the Attorney General (rather than the Attorney General or the Illinois State Police) shall diligently investigate a civil violation for false claims under the Act. Provides that the Attorney General may issue subpoenas under the Act (rather than the Attorney General may delegate the authority to issue subpoenas under the Act to the Department of State Police). In provisions concerning the State Whistleblower Reward and Protection Fund, provides that for all cases settled on or after October 1, 2023, one-third of the monies shall be paid to the Attorney General Whistleblower Reward and Protection Fund. Provides that the remaining two-thirds of the monies in the Fund shall be used for payment of awards to Qui Tam plaintiffs and as otherwise specified in this Act, with any remainder to the General Revenue Fund. Provides that the Attorney General shall direct the State Treasurer to make disbursement of funds. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a prosecution for any offense based upon fraudulent activity connected to COVID-19-related relief programs, to include the Paycheck Protection Program, COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and the Unemployment Benefit Programs shall be commenced within one year after discovery of the offense by a person having a legal duty to report such offense, or in the absence of such discovery, within one year after the proper prosecuting officer becomes aware of the offense. Provides that in no such case is the period of limitation so extended more than 3 years beyond the expiration of the period otherwise applicable.

Creates the Law Enforcement Gang Database Information Act. Defines terms. Provides requirements for the use of gang databases and shared gang databases. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in all criminal cases, evidence which indicates the mere presence that the person was or is on a gang database or a shared gang database is not admissible. Effective immediately.

Amends the Park District Code. Provides that a park district may levy and collect annually a tax for maintaining a police system, for implementing and maintaining public safety and security measures, or both (currently, only for maintaining a police system) within the parks, playgrounds, and other facilities maintained by the district. Defines "public safety and security measures". Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that a neglected minor includes any minor (rather than a minor under 14 years) whose parent or other person responsible for the minor's welfare leaves the minor without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor. Provides that a minor shall not be considered neglected for the sole reason that the minor was engaged in independent activities, except if the person responsible for the minor's health, safety, or welfare willfully disregards danger that the independent activity poses to the physical or mental health of the minor under circumstances when the danger is sufficiently obvious that no reasonable person would cause or permit the minor to be unsupervised in such a situation given the minor's level of maturity, physical condition, or mental abilities. Provides factors that must be considered in determining if a minor's needs can be sufficiently met during an independent activity. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to change the child abandonment statute. Deletes language providing that a person commits child abandonment by leaving a child who is under the age of 13 without supervision by a responsible person over the age of 14 for a period of 24 hours or more. Provides instead that a person commits child abandonment when he or she, as a parent, guardian, or other person having physical custody or control of a child, without regard for the mental or physical health, safety, or welfare of that child, knowingly permits a child to engage in independent activities that were unreasonable under the circumstances or for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the minor's mental or physical health, safety or well-being. Provides that no specific age shall be determinative of reasonableness, and that reasonableness shall be determined by the maturity of each individual child. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that during the first 180 days following a person's release from a penal institution, a court shall not order the person to pay any outstanding fines, taxes, or costs arising from a criminal proceeding involving the person.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that the judge shall enter an order permitting prosecution under the criminal laws of Illinois unless the judge makes a finding based on clear and convincing evidence that the minor would be amenable to the care, treatment, and training programs available through the facilities of the juvenile court based on an evaluation of: (1) any involvement of the minor in the child welfare system, (2) whether there is evidence the minor was subjected to outside pressure, including peer pressure, familial pressure, or negative influences, and (3) the minor's degree of participation and specific role in the offense. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that when a person commits an offense and the person is under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense, the court, at the sentencing hearing shall consider the following additional factors in mitigation in determining the appropriate sentence: (1) the person's family, home environment, educational and social background, including any history of domestic or sexual violence or sexual exploitation; (2) childhood trauma, including adverse childhood experiences, the person's involvement in the child welfare system; (3) involvement of the person in the community; (4) if a comprehensive mental health evaluation of the person was conducted by a qualified mental health professional; and (5) the outcome of the evaluation. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the court determines by clear and convincing evidence that the individual against whom the person is convicted of committing the offense previously committed certain human trafficking or sex crimes against the person within 3 years before the offense in which the person was convicted, the court may, in its discretion: (1) transfer the person to juvenile court for sentencing under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987; (2) depart from any mandatory minimum sentence, maximum sentence, or sentencing enhancement; or (3) suspend any portion of an otherwise applicable sentence.

Amends the Housing Authorities Act. Requires every housing authority organized under the Act to collect data on (i) the number of vacant rental units within each housing project operated by the housing authority and (ii) information on whether each waiting list maintained by the housing authority is open or closed. Requires the information to be reported to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and compiled and reported to the General Assembly annually by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Provides that unless required by federal law, a housing authority shall not consider certain information when determining eligibility for federally assisted housing, including convictions occurring more than 180 days prior to the date the applicant's application for housing is reviewed for acceptance. Defines "federally assisted housing" to mean any housing units or subsidized housing programs funded in whole or in part by the federal government including all properties owned or financed by a housing authority, or a subsidiary or partnership in which the housing authority is a member.

Amends the School Code. Provides that student identification cards shall also provide contact information for the Safe2Help Illinois helpline. Effective July 1, 2023.