Rep. Marcus Evans

Mourns the passing of Jeanie Dunn, Pastor Emeritus.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Adds to the definition of "brownfield site photovoltaic project", photovoltaics that meet the criteria that the project is interconnected to an electric utility, a municipal utility, a public utility as defined in the Public Utilities Act, or an electric cooperative as defined in the Public Utilities Act and is located on any part of the site, and within the property boundaries, of a coal-fueled electric generating plant in this State that was retired as of January 1, 2023, or that the generating plant owner commits to retire prior to the commercial operation date of the project. In provisions concerning renewable energy credits from new projects in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall procure 55% from photovoltaic projects where at least 44% (rather than 47%) are from utility-scale solar projects and at least 3% are from projects that meet specified criteria. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act. Removes all references to and the definition of "small employer". Provides that the Act applies to employers with at least one employee (rather than employers with fewer than 25 employees). Requires the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Board to (i) establish annual automatic increases to the contribution rates and (ii) verify employee eligibility for auto-enrollment in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code and applicable federal and State laws. Makes changes regarding penalties for employers who fail, without reasonable cause, to enroll an employee in the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program (Program). Provides that, for purposes of the penalties, the Department of Revenue shall determine total employee count for employers using the annual average from employer-reported quarterly data. Provides that the Department may provide notice regarding penalties in an electronic format to be determined by the Department. Removes a provision authorizing the Department to implement the penalties 9 months after the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Board notifies the Director of Revenue that the Program has been implemented. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that the Act applies to employers with at least 5 employees, rather than at least one employee. (Current law applies to employers with fewer than 25 employees.) Provides that a small employer is an employer that employed less than 5 employees during any quarter of the previous calendar year, rather than less than 25 employees at any one time throughout the previous calendar year. Provides enrollment deadlines. Provides that small employers may, but are not required to, establish payroll deduction arrangements for retirement savings arrangements. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 820 ILCS 80/5 820 ILCS 80/30 820 ILCS 80/60 820 ILCS 80/85 Adds reference to: 820 ILCS 115/15 from Ch. 48, par. 39m-15 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Pension Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Government Forecasting & Accountability) SB 208, as amended by HA 3, will not impact any public pension fund or retirement system in the State of Illinois. State Debt Impact Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Government Forecasting & Accountability) SB 0208, as amended by House Amendment 3, would not change the amount of authorization for any type of State-issued bond, and, therefore, would not affect the level of State indebtedness. Balanced Budget Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Office of Management and Budget) Please be advised that the Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to Senate Bill 208, as amended by House Amendment 3, as it is not a supplemental appropriation that increases or decreases appropriations. Under the Act, a balanced budget note must be prepared only for bills that change a general funds appropriation for the fiscal year in which the new bill is enacted. Land Conveyance Appraisal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in Senate Bill 208, House Amendment #3; therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. Housing Affordability Impact Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. Correctional Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Dept of Corrections) Corrections Population Impact: None; Fiscal Impact: $68,984,327 over a ten-year period House Floor Amendment No. 4 Deletes reference to: 820 ILCS 115/15 Adds reference to: New Act 30 ILCS 105/5.990 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Requires employers to provide paid leave to employees for any purpose. Sets forth provisions regarding employer responsibilities, unlawful employer practices, and other matters. Provides that an employee who works in this State is entitled to earn and use a minimum of 40 hours of paid leave during a 12-month period. Makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with, restrain, deny, change scheduled work days or hours to avoid paid leave, or discipline an employee for the exercise of any right under the Act. Authorizes the Department of Labor to administer and enforce the Act. Provides for the imposition of civil penalties. Authorizes individuals to file civil actions with respect to violations. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Paid Leave for All Workers Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective January 1, 2024

Amends the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012. In provisions regarding institution and program approval criteria, provides that a part of the criteria for approval is fair and equitable reimbursement in the case of an unfair or deceptive practice finding. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. In provisions concerning the monetary award program, makes changes to the provisions regarding the award of grants to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit institutions, and provides that credits earned during the 2023-2024 academic year at a qualified for-profit institution may not count toward the maximum credit-hour limitation. Sets forth provisions concerning an institution that received monetary award program funds at a time the institution was using unfair or deceptive practices, including refunding State funds to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and awarding grants to students who attended that institution. Amends the State Finance Act to create the MAP Refund Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "autonomous vehicle" as a motor vehicle that is equipped with hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis within the operational design domain, if any, including achieving a minimal risk condition, without any expected intervention or supervision by a conventional human driver, where applicable. Provides that an autonomous vehicle registered in this State shall continue to meet federal standards and regulations for a motor vehicle. Provides that an operator of an autonomous vehicle shall not use the vehicle to engage in the transport of interstate commerce or the transporting of passengers, or the transporting of goods, unless a human safety operator is physically present in the autonomous vehicle such that he or she has the ability to monitor the vehicle's performance and intervene if necessary, including operating or shutting off the vehicle. Provides that a human safety operator must continue to meet all federal and State qualifications for autonomous and nonautonomous vehicles.

Amends Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Creates the Cannabis Equity and Oversight Commission. Provides that the Commission shall administer and enforce the provisions of the Act relating to the oversight, licensing, registration, and certification of dispensing organizations, cultivation centers, craft growers, infuser organizations, transporting organizations, laboratories, and agents, including, but not limited to, the issuance of identification cards and establishing limits on the potency or serving size of cannabis or cannabis products. Provides that the Commission may suspend or revoke the license of, or impose other penalties upon, dispensing organizations, cultivation centers, craft growers, infuser organizations, transporting organizations, laboratories, and their principal officers, agents-in-charge, and agents for violations of the Act or any rules adopted under the Act. Makes conforming changes throughout various Acts. Contains other provisions. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Election Code. Removes provisions specifying petition and referenda requirements for proposed statewide advisory public questions. Modifies the procedures for: petition signature sample verification, including removing specified responsibilities of election authorities; valid signature calculation; and petition verification watchers. Makes conforming changes. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a credit for financial institutions with less than $50,000,000,000 in assets in an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all fees, penalties, and any other income derived during the taxable year from each commercial loan transaction that is (i) less than $5,000,000, (ii) originated by the financial institution, (iii) made to a person residing or located in this State, and (iv) made primarily for a business or agricultural project in this State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules to establish cannabis nursery licenses that allow for the sale of cannabis seeds, seedlings, and cuttings to registered qualifying patients under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act for the purposes of home cultivation, subject to specified provisions.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that regardless of location, all laborers, workers, and mechanics who produce aggregate material that is incorporated, directly or indirectly, into public works or who process aggregate material into concrete, cement, or asphalt that is incorporated, directly or indirectly, into public works shall be deemed to be employed upon public works. Defines "aggregate materials" as rock, gravel, sand, pebbles, dirt, soil, clay, bitumen, cultured polymer, cement, concrete, asphalt, and like materials or any other material over which the State or its agencies or political subdivisions exercise engineering specification authority.