Rep. Grant Wehrli

Amends provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act concerning an employer's benefit charges. Provides that an employer is not regarded as having caused a claimant to become unemployed by reduction of work offered if: the claimant performed services for the employer in each of the 6 weeks immediately preceding the claimant's current benefit year and those services did not result in the claimant ceasing to be an unemployed individual, and the claimant performed services for the employer in each week of the claimant's current benefit year and those services did not result in the claimant ceasing to be an unemployed individual for more than 2 weeks during the claimant's current benefit year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that no provision of the Act shall be construed to afford any rights to any person: (i) incarcerated in a State, local, or federal correctional facility; or (ii) in the custody of the Department of Human Services as unfit to stand trial or under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act. Provides that the new provisions shall not be construed to prevent a person from exercising his or her constitutionally-protected rights. Exempts from disclosure under the Act records requested by persons committed to a county jail if those materials are available in the library of the jail. Exempts from inspection and copying information or materials received, generated, or maintained by a State's Attorney or county sheriff as part of the criminal discovery process that the disclosure of which would violate the Supreme Court Rule concerning the disclosure of discovery materials in felony cases. Provides that the exemption applies regardless of whether the case has concluded. Effective immediately.

Amends the Minimum Wage Law. Provides that: an employer may impose a disciplinary suspension without pay upon certain employees who are exempt from certain overtime pay requirements of the Law; a deduction from the pay of an exempt employee may be made for suspensions of one or more full days imposed in good faith for infractions of workplace conduct rules; the suspension must be imposed pursuant to a written policy applicable to all employees; and an employer, in imposing such a suspension, may deduct from the employee's salary the hourly or daily equivalent of the employee's full salary or any other amount proportional to the time actually missed by the employee.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that members of the board of trustees of a community college district elected in 2017 shall be elected to serve a 2-year term and members elected in 2019 and thereafter shall be elected to serve 4-year terms (rather than members being elected to serve 6-year terms). Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Requires political committees to include a copy or image of any receipt received for any expenditure that must be reported. Allows the State Board of Elections to adopt rules to implement the requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Requires full-time and part-time police officers to be licensed rather than certified. Makes related changes. Provides that the Board has the power to require local governmental units to furnish personnel rosters, employment status reports, and annual training plans to the Board. Provides that a police officer who has been licensed, certified, or granted a valid waiver shall be decertified or have his or her license or waiver revoked upon a determination by the Illinois Labor Relations Board State Panel that he or she knowingly and willfully violated a rule or regulation of his or her department or agency that has as a penalty the discharge or dismissal of the officer from the department or agency. Establishes hearing procedures on decertification.

Amends the Downstate Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a person who is receiving a police pension becomes employed as a chief of police, the person must so notify the pension fund paying the pension and any other fund in which the person has service credit, and the pension shall be suspended until the employment as chief terminates; if the person elects to participate in IMRF, the person must also notify IMRF of those police pension funds. Provides that if a person who is receiving a police pension enters service as a police officer with a different municipality, the person must so notify the pension fund paying the pension, and the pension shall be suspended until the service terminates. Applies to persons who first enter service after the effective date of this amendatory Act.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Adds to disorderly conduct for a person to knowingly operate any aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator in flight below the minimum altitudes of flight prescribed by the laws of this State or by rules of the Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation of this State over any stadium, arena, or the real property or parking area of any stadium or arena, during times when more than 35 persons are present for an event, except as provided for law enforcement use under the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. Penalty is a Class A misdemeanor.

Amends the Downstate Police and Downstate Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a person who is receiving a pension re-enters active service with the same municipality, including a police chief who elects to participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, or becomes a full-time employee in the same municipality, his or her pension payment shall be suspended while he or she is in active service or is employed by that municipality. In the Downstate Firefighter Article, provides that if the firefighter again retires and was in active service for 5 or more years (instead of 3 or more years), his or her monthly pension shall be based on the salary attached to the firefighter's rank at the date of last retirement. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. With respect to State assessments, provides that after the expiration of any contract entered into before the effective date of the amendatory Act between the State Board of Education and an entity that provides a college and career readiness examination for the purposes of student application or admissions consideration at institutions of higher education and before the State Board enters into an agreement with a different entity to provide a college and career readiness examination, the State Board shall allow a one-year transition period for school districts that allows school districts to administer the college and career readiness examination of their choice, subject to appropriation by the State Board. Effective immediately.