Creates the Outdoor Rx Program Act. Authorizes the Department of Public Health, subject to appropriation, to make grants for outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs serving the citizens of the State of Illinois. Requires the Department to establish an advisory committee to assist and advise the Department in the development and administration of the Outdoor Rx Program, including developing the form for an application for receipt of a grant. Provides that the Department shall set priorities and develop criteria for the awarding of grants to natural resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs. Provides criteria for grant eligibility and selection. Provides that the Director of Public Health shall make the final decision on funding a program. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Outdoor Rx Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. In the statute concerning abuse or criminal neglect of a long term care facility resident, changes references to "an elderly person's or person with a disability's life" to references to "a resident's life". In the statute concerning financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability, provides that a person who violates the provisions is guilty of a Class 1 felony if the elderly person is 70 years of age or older (instead of "over 70 years of age") and the value of the property is $15,000 or more.
Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to track and collect data on the scope and frequency of SNAP benefits fraud in Illinois where a SNAP recipient's benefits are stolen from the recipient's electronic benefits transfer card by means of card skimming, card cloning, or some other similar fraudulent method. Requires the Department to specifically keep a record of every report made to the Department by a SNAP recipient alleging the theft of benefits due to no fault of the recipient, the benefit amount stolen, and, if practicable, how those stolen benefits were used and the location of those thefts. Requires the Department to report its findings to the General Assembly on a quarterly basis beginning in calendar year 2024. Provides that a SNAP recipient's personally identifiable information shall be excluded from the reports consistent with State and federal privacy protections; and that each quarterly report shall be posted on the Department's official website. Provides that if the Department determines that a SNAP recipient has made a substantiated report of stolen benefits due to card skimming, card cloning, or some other similar fraudulent method, the Department shall refer the matter to the Attorney General and shall provide any assistance to the Attorney General in the prosecution of the alleged theft or fraud.
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.
Amends the State Comptroller Act. Provides that after 3 years from the date of issuance of an original Comptroller's warrant, any sum of money payable shall be presumed abandoned and subject to disposition under the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (rather than after 5 years from the date of issuance of the original warrant but no later than 10 years after that date, the Comptroller may issue a replacement warrant on the Warrant Escheat Fund to a person or entity entitled thereto if certain requirements are met). Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that on or after July 1, 2024, when the receipt of a ward, a distributee of an estate, or a claimant cannot be found, the representative shall report and remit the share of the missing person to the State Treasurer for disposition under the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. Amends the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. Provides that certain amounts payable under a provision related to the refund for erroneous assessments or overpayments are presumed abandoned if it is unclaimed by the apparent owner 3 years after the property becomes payable. Provides that if the administrator reasonably believes that the apparent owner of property presumed abandoned held by the administrator is: a unit of local government which files an audit report or annual financial report with the Comptroller, the administrator may give written notice to the person or persons identified in the most recent annual financial report as the contact person, the chief executive officer, and the chief financial officer; and a State agency, the administrator may give written notice to the person whom the records of the Comptroller indicate are the chief executive officer and chief fiscal officer of such State agency. Provides that property presumed abandoned where the administrator reasonably believes the owner is a unit of local government shall escheat to the State and shall be deposited into the Comptroller's Audit Expense Revolving Fund if certain requirements apply. Provides that property presumed abandoned where the administrator reasonably believes the owner is a State agency shall escheat to the State and shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund if certain requirements apply. Makes other changes. Makes conforming changes in the Property Tax Code and the Governmental Account Audit Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. In provisions relating to a municipality borrowing money from a bank or other financial institution, modifies the definition of "financial institution" to include the Illinois Finance Authority.
Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that any entity may make contributions to an ABLE account. Makes changes concerning privacy of ABLE account information. Provides that the ABLE Account Program may also be referred to as the Senator Scott Bennett ABLE Program. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Property Control Act. Includes qualified veteran-owned small businesses in the list of entities that may receive preference in the disposition of transferable property. Effective immediately.
Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Provides for the repeal of the Illinois Public Accounting Act on January 1, 2029 (rather than January 1, 2024). Amends the Illinois Public Accounting Act. Provides that all applicants and registrants shall: (1) provide a valid address and email address to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which shall serve as the address of record and email address of record, respectively, at the time of application for registration or renewal of a registration and (2) inform the Department of any change of address of record or email address of record within 14 days after such change either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department's licensure maintenance unit. Provides that a license application shall have an applicant's federal individual taxpayer identification number. Provides that all CPA firms or sole practitioners required to undergo a peer review shall submit to the Department peer review reports; letters of response, if applicable; acceptance letters; letters signed by the reviewed CPA firm accepting the peer review documents with the understanding that the CPA firm agrees to take certain actions, if applicable; and letters notifying the reviewed CPA firm that certain required actions have been completed, if applicable. Provides that the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation shall appoint a full-time CPA Coordinator. Provides that the hearing officer shall report the hearing officer's findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations to the Committee (rather than to the Committee and the Secretary). Removes a provision providing that exhibits shall be certified without cost. Makes corresponding and other changes. Specifies that the changes made to the Regulatory Sunset Act take effect immediately.
Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions relating to bullying prevention and the definition of "policy on bullying", provides that bullying shall also include bullying based on physical appearance, socioeconomic status, academic status, pregnancy, parenting status, homelessness. Provides that a bullying prevention policy must include procedures for informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying within 24 hours after the school's administration is made aware of the incident (instead of procedures for promptly informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying). Provides that the bullying prevention policy shall also require all individual instances of bullying, as well as all threats, suggestions, or instances of self-harm to be reported to the parents or legal guardians of those involved under the guidelines provided. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop a template for a model bullying prevention policy. Provides that schools shall develop the bullying prevention policy for the school based on the model provided by the State Board of Education. Provides that school districts shall collect, maintain, and submit to the State Board of Education non-identifiable data regarding allegations and instances of bullying within the school district. Provides that upon the request of a parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a school district within the State, the State Board of Education must provide non-identifiable data of the number of bullying allegations and incidents in a given year at the school district to the requesting parent or legal guardian. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Makes other changes.