Rep. Mary Flowers

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides for the issuance of grants to essential workers and the dependents of essential workers, subject to appropriation. Defines "essential worker" as an individual whose employment duties provide a service that is typically deemed vital to public health and safety and economic and national security and essential to continue critical infrastructure operations. Sets forth provisions concerning application and qualifications for a grant, the amount of a grant and its use, and rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2021.

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that if a person who has been granted a pardon or issued a certificate of innocence establishes that he or she plead guilty due to a forced confession, the Court of Claims shall make an award of $50,000 per year the person was wrongfully imprisoned and attorney's fees not exceeding 25% of the award granted. Provides that the court shall include the number of years the person was imprisoned awaiting trial in its determination of the award and that the court shall include an additional $25,000 for each year served on parole, probation, or registered as a sex offender after imprisonment. Provides that the court shall annually adjust the awards authorized by the new provisions to reflect the increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for the previous calendar year, as determined by the United States Department of Labor, except that no annual increment may exceed 5%. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Court of Claims Act. Deletes language regarding the amount a court shall award to a person for time unjustly served in prison when the person imprisoned received a pardon on the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was imprisoned or he or she received a certificate of innocence. Provides instead that the court shall award $50,000 per year during which the person was wrongfully imprisoned and shall prorate that amount for a fraction of a year that the person was wrongfully imprisoned, including the number of years the person was awaiting trial. Provides that the court shall award attorney's fees in an amount not to exceed 25% of the award granted. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to all claims pending or filed on or after the effective date. Fiscal Note (Court of Claims) House Bill 86 could have a cost to the State of Illinois, however no dollar estimate can be given. Under the current statute, award amounts for innocent individuals that were incarcerated are in three tiers, with maximum payouts based on the length of incareration. Each tier could be affected by this amendment, which allows payment of $50,000.00 per year in cases involving coerced confessions. It is not possible to forecast the number of future innocence claims that may be received by the Court of Claims, nor the lengths of incarceration or circumstances surrounding any individual future claim. The Court received approximately 50 certificates in fiscal year 2020 and, to date, over 70 certificates in fiscal year 2021. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adds an immediate effective date.

Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for autism programs. Effective July 1, 2021.

Creates the Marshall Plan for Moms Interagency Task Force Act. Establishes the Marshall Plan for Moms Interagency Task Force to examine the following policy areas and issue proposals and recommendations: (i) the utilization of recurring payments or financial assistance to mothers and other caregivers and any equivalent policies under all current State and federal programs; (ii) the current utilization rates and impacts of family leave programs as well as specific impacts of the programs on mothers and other caregivers; (iii) current State policy impacting the childcare industry and the access or availability of child care in all areas of the State; (iv) the impact of any new policies imposed by the federal government or by State or local officials during the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted mothers and other caregivers in the workforce; and (v) other areas the Task Force deems relevant in the review of policies that may impact mothers and other caregivers. Requires the Task Force to hold public hearings within one year after the effective date of the Act to solicit input and recommendations from statewide and regional stakeholder interests. Contains provisions concerning Task Force reports to the Governor and the General Assembly; membership on the Task Force; repeal of the Act; and other matters.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, police training schools approved by the Board, law enforcement agencies, and units of local government may not initiate, administer, or conduct training programs that include warrior-style training, either directly or through a third party. Provides that the Board may not reimburse a law enforcement agency or unit of local government for any portion of training programs that include warrior-style training. Provides that law enforcement agencies and units of local government may not indemnify or otherwise provide liability protection for a peace officer for liability arising from the use of tactics derived from warrior-style training. Defines "warrior-style" training. Preempts home rule. Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to make conforming changes.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that no less than 30 days before the issuance of a warrant of arrest for nonpayment of a fine or an installment of a fine, a notice shall be mailed to the offender by first class mail to the most recent address which the offender has provided to the court. Provides that the notice shall contain the following information: (1) the amount of the fine which is due and owing; (2) the docket number of the case in which the fine was assessed; (3) the due date for payment of the fine; (4) instructions as to how payment of the fine may be made; (5) an explanation that willful refusal to pay the fine may result in imprisonment; and (6) instructions as to how the offender may request a hearing to present evidence that the offender did not willfully refuse to pay the fine, and that failure to pay was the result of the offender's inability to pay the fine. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adds reference to: 625 ILCS 5/6-308 Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that for purposes of a provision concerning procedures for traffic violations, a violation shall be deemed resolved if the person has appeared in court and the court entered any final disposition, including: (i) a final order regarding the person's guilt or innocence; or (ii) an order granting a request by the State or local governmental body that initiated the charges for permission not to prosecute the charges. Further amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that if the prosecutor shows that default was due to an intentional refusal to pay, and due to a failure on the offender's part to make a good faith effort to pay, rather than the offender demonstrating the absence of these factors, the court may order the offender imprisoned for a term not to exceed 6 months if the fine was for a felony, or 30 days if the fine was for a misdemeanor, a petty offense or a business offense. Adds an immediate effective date to the bill.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Reinstitutes State funded General Assistance to provide a program for adults with no children to be known as State Transitional Assistance and a program for families with children and for pregnant women to be known as State Family and Children Assistance. Sets forth eligibility requirements for State Transitional Assistance including that an individual must be ineligible for Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (AABD) benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits and must be age 18 or over or married and living with a spouse, regardless of age. Provides that persons who are too impaired to work but do not have a disability that meets the disability level to qualify for Supplemental Security Income or have substantial barriers to being employable shall be considered chronically needy and eligible for State Transitional Assistance. Sets forth other criteria for determining whether an individual is chronically needy. Sets forth the eligibility requirements under the State Family and Children Assistance program including that a family unit must be ineligible for AABD and TANF and must contain a child under the age of 18 or a child age 18 who is a full-time student. Provides that a conviction for a drug-related felony shall not disqualify an applicant for assistance under either program and that, subject to federal approval, the assistance amount provided under either program shall not be considered income for purposes of determining eligibility under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Removes provisions providing that individuals enrolled in the State Transitional Assistance program, who are determined to be chronically needy, and individuals enrolled in the State Family and Children Assistance program are eligible for medical assistance and pharmacy services. Makes technical changes. Makes the bill effective January 1, 2023 (rather than immediately.)

Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Removes language providing that a person who has been convicted of a felony is not qualified to act as an executor or an administrator.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college district to contract for the provision of child care services on campus for its students. Provides that charges for service shall be at a reduced rate or service shall be free of charge, depending on the student's income. Effective immediately.

Creates the Wage Insurance Act. Requires the Department of Employment Security to establish a Wage Insurance Program. Provides that an individual is eligible for wage insurance benefits if the individual is a claimant under the Unemployment Insurance Act at the time the individual obtains reemployment and is not employed by the employer from which the individual was last separated. Provides that benefits shall be paid in an amount sufficient to pay the difference between the wage received by the individual at the time of separation and the wages received by the individual from reemployment. Imposes a 0.4% payroll tax on employees beginning January 1, 2022. Provides that claims for wage insurance benefits may be filed beginning June 1, 2022. Contains provisions concerning the recovery of erroneous payments; hearings; civil penalties; unpaid taxes; rules; and other matters. Creates the Wage Insurance Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Amends the State Finance Act to include the Wage Insurance Fund. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from inspection and copying information that is exempt from disclosure under the Wage Insurance Act.