Rep. Terra Costa Howard

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the month of October of each year is designated as Italian Heritage Month to be observed throughout the State as a month to recognize the contributions and influence of Italians on American history, achievement, culture, and innovation. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 490/9 new Adds reference to: 25 ILCS 120/6.7 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Compensation Review Act. Prohibits cost-of-living adjustments for or during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 for State government legislative and executive elected officers and appointees in positions for which the Compensation Review Board previously recommended or determined compensation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all CCR generated by the electric generating industry located in a municipality bordering Lake Michigan with greater than 75,000 inhabitants but fewer than 150,000 inhabitants shall be removed from the site. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the amendatory provisions do not impact any financial obligation arising before their effective date. Effective immediately. Pension Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 4358, 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) HB 4358, 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 House Bill 4358, [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. Judicial Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) The legislation will not increase or decrease the number of judges needed in the State of Illinois. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) House Amendment #3 imposes no additional fiscal impact on the Illinois EPA. Land Conveyance Appraisal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in this bill, therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. Housing Affordability Impact Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Housing Development Authority) HB4358 (H-AM-3) is anticipated to have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. It is possible that some of the training requirements for construction/engineers could come with a cost that gets passed to the construction industry which could impact the affordability of housing in Illinois, but not enough information is provided in the bill to make this determination and the reviewer does not believe there will be any measurable impact. Correctional Note, House Floor Amendment No. 3 (Dept of Corrections) This amendment has no fiscal impact or population impact on the department.

Amends the Firearm Owner's Identification Card Act. Provides that if a Firearm Owner's Identification Card of a licensee is issued to a licensee under 21 years of age, then that Firearm Owner's Identification Card shall expire on the licensee's 21st birthday or 10 years from the date of issuance, whichever is earlier. Provides that after the licensee's 21st birthday, the validity period of the licensee's Firearm Owner's Identification Card shall be 10 years.

Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act. In provisions regarding cottage food operations: makes changes to definitions; requires cottage food operations to comply with specified requirements (rather than providing that specified entities may regulate the transaction of food or drink by a cottage food operation if the requirements are met); adds requirements for the sale of low-acid canned foods and fermented or acidified foods; provides that food and drink produced by a cottage food operation shall be sold directly to consumers for their own consumption and not for resale; removes language requiring State-certified local public health departments to regulate the service of food by a cottage food operation and allowing them to require a cottage food operation to submit specified canned foods to a commercial laboratory to verify specified information; requires local health departments to register eligible cottage food operations and issue certificates of registration; adds an exemption for a person who produces or packages a non-potentially hazardous baked good for sale by a religious, charitable, or nonprofit organization for fundraising purposes; preempts home rule; and makes other changes. Repeals provisions regarding home kitchen operations.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2021, breast pumps, breast pump collection and storage supplies, and breast pump kits are exempt from the taxes imposed under those Acts. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating a credit against withholding taxes for employers with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, for reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2022 and ending on or before December 31, 2024, the maximum credit is 25% of the difference between the amount of compensation paid in Illinois to employees who are paid not more than the required minimum wage reduced by the amount of compensation paid in Illinois to employees who were paid less than the current required minimum wage during the reporting period prior to each increase in the required minimum wage on January 1 (currently: 17% in calendar year 2022; 13% in calendar year 2023; and 9% in calendar year 2024). Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act, the Illinois Youthbuild Act, the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act, the School Code, the Public University Uniform Admission Pilot Program Act, the Public Community College Act, the Higher Education Student Assistance Act, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Pharmacy Practice Act, the Structural Pest Control Act, the Community Association Manager Licensing and Disciplinary Act, the Home Inspector License Act, the Real Estate License Act of 2000, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, the Illinois Vehicle Code, and the Unified Code of Corrections. Changes references from high school equivalency certificate to State of Illinois High School Diploma. House Floor Amendment No. 1 In the provisions of the School Code concerning high school equivalency, specifies that a State of Illinois High School Diploma is a recognized high school equivalency certificate for purposes of reciprocity with other states and a high school equivalency certificate from another state is equivalent to a State of Illinois High School Diploma.

Creates the Carpet Stewardship Act. Provides that within 60 days after the effective date of the Act, the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency shall appoint specified members to a clearinghouse to administer and implement a carpet stewardship program. Specifies the duties of the clearinghouse. Requires the clearinghouse to be incorporated as a nonprofit. Provides that for all carpet sold in this State, the clearinghouse shall implement, and producers shall finance, a statewide carpet stewardship program that manages the product by reducing the product's waste generation, promotes its carpet recovery and reutilization, and provides for negotiation and execution of agreements to collect, transport, process, and market the old carpet for end-of-life carpet recovery or carpet reutilization. Requires the clearinghouse to submit, by July 1, 2023 and by July 1 every 3 years thereafter, a 3-year plan to the Agency for approval. Specifies the requirements for the plan. Establishes requirements for review of the plan and requirements for producers, retailers, and distributors of carpet. Requires the clearinghouse to submit annual reports to the Agency and pay specified administrative fees. Includes enforcement provisions for the Act. Establishes requirements for State procurement of carpet in the future. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately. State Debt Impact Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 4356 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 (Office of Management and Budget) Please be advised that the Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to House Bill 4356, 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. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency shall (rather than shall attempt to) appoint members of the clearinghouse that reflect the racial and gender diversity of this State. Requires the clearinghouse to hold meetings that are open to the public with reasonable notice of the meeting made publicly available. Requires the clearinghouse's funding mechanism to: (i) be sufficient (rather than to be approved by the Agency as sufficient) to cover the annual costs of the clearinghouse program; and (ii) not charge specified fees to consumers. Provides that the clearinghouse shall remit to the Agency an annual fee of $250,000 to be used for administrative costs (rather than pay the Agency an annual administrative fee of not less than $200,000 and not more than $500,000). Adds a severability provision. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Home Rule Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) HB 4356 does not pre-empt home rule authority. State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) HB 4356 does not create a State Mandate. Fiscal Note (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) HB 4356 requires the clearinghouse to pay the Illinois EPA an annual administrative fee between $200,000 and $500,000 for expenses consistent with the Agency's responsibilities under the Act. Illinois EPA anticipates that this administrative fee would cover the resources needed by the Agency. Pension Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 4356, as amended by HA 1, will have no impact upon any public pension fund or retirement system in the State of Illinois. State Debt Impact Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 4356, as amended by House Amendment 1, would not change the amount of authorization for any type of State-issued bond, and, therefore, would not affect the level of State indebtedness. Land Conveyance Appraisal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in House Bill 4356 House Amendment #1; therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. Housing Affordability Impact Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. Balanced Budget Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Office of Management and Budget) Please be advised that the Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to House Bill 4356, [as amended by House Amendment l] 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. Judicial Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) Based on a review of the bill, the legislation will not increase or decrease the number of judges needed in the state of Illinois. Correctional Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Dept of Corrections) This amendment has no fiscal impact or population impact on the department. Home Rule Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not pre-empt home rule authority. State Mandates Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State Mandate under the State Mandates Act Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) House Amendment #1 to HB 4356 (Gabel) requires the clearinghouse to remit to the Illinois EPA an annual fee of $250,000 to be used for administrative costs pursuant to the Carpet Stewardship Act. Illinois EPA anticipates that this administrative fee would cover the resources needed by the Agency to carry out its responsibilities under the Act.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the month of October of each year is designated as Italian Heritage Month to be observed throughout the State as a month to recognize the contributions and influence of Italians on American history, achievement, culture, and innovation.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a Free Masks for Seniors Program to acquire and distribute free disposable surgical face masks to Illinois residents 65 years of age or older regardless of income. Provides that under the program a one-month supply of disposable surgical face masks, amounting to no less than 25 masks, shall be delivered every month by postal service to the residential address of every eligible Illinois resident. Requires the Department to work with its network of services providers, including, but not limited to, adult day care providers, community day providers, developmental disability providers, family and community services providers, mental health providers, and rehabilitation services providers, to identify and register eligible individuals for the program. Requires the Department to also access data from the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the Illinois Secretary of State, and other governmental entities, as appropriate and to the extent allowed by law, to identify and register individuals eligible to participate in the program. Provides that any information obtained or collected shall be subject to federal and State privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations. Requires the Department to establish and implement the program no later than 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.