Rep. Fred Crespo

Creates the Saving Illinois' Pollinators Act. Provides that beginning 9 months after the effective date of the Act, it shall be unlawful to apply neonicotinoid insecticides on public lands owned or maintained by this State. Provides that beginning 9 months after the effective date of the Act, it shall be unlawful to apply neonicotinoid insecticides in other outdoor residential settings, including landscaping, ornamental, or other outdoor applications in this State. Establishes exemptions to the prohibitions. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall, within 6 months after the effective date of the Act, adopt rules to implement the Act. Provides that the Department shall, within one year after the effective date of the Act, issue a draft report evaluating whether clear, peer-reviewed, published scientific evidence exists that outdoor applications of these insecticides are safe for monarch butterflies, other pollinators, other beneficial insects, the broader environment, and human health. Provides that a person who impedes, obstructs, hinders, or otherwise prevents or attempts to prevent the Director of Agriculture in the performance of his or her official duties under the Act is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Provides that a person using physical force against the Director in the performance of his or her official duties under the Act is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that on and after January 1, 2019, but not before that date, no person serving in a countywide elective public office in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, or his or her spouse or immediate family members living with that elected person, may be a registered lobbyist under the Act or hold a 30% or greater ownership interest in a lobbying entity. Provides that any person serving in a countywide elective public office in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, or his or her spouse or immediate family members living with that elected person, who is a registered lobbyist before the effective date of this amendatory Act shall serve out the remainder of his or her annual registration, and shall not re-register as a lobbyist during the remainder of the term of countywide elective office. Provides that any person serving in a countywide elective public office in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, or his or her spouse or immediate family members living with that elected person, holding a 30% or greater ownership interest in a lobbying entity shall divest himself or herself of that interest as soon as practicable: (1) after the effective date of this amendatory Act; or (2) after being sworn into office. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fire Protection District. Provides that on January 1, 2020, the territory of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District 1 within the Village of Hanover Park is disconnected from the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District 1 if the mayor of the Village of Hanover Park signs a certification authorizing the disconnection and the clerk of the Village of Hanover Park transmits, on or before December 31, 2019, a certified copy of the certification to the county clerk of DuPage County and to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Provides that if the territory is disconnected, then, beginning January 1, 2020, the Village of Hanover Park must provide fire protection services to the disconnected territory, and the territory disconnected remains liable for its proportional share of any outstanding bonded indebtedness of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District 1.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, for State Board of Education appointments made after the effective date of the amendatory Act, 3 of the members of the State Board must represent the educator community. Sets forth the qualifications for these members and makes other changes with regard to the qualifications of members of the State Board.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that beginning in Fiscal Year 2019, allocations to public universities based upon performance metrics shall not amount to less than 5% of the overall higher education budget amount for public universities from the General Revenue Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that for the Chicago school district only and within one month of the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, a school board shall develop and distribute to each parent or guardian of a student attending the schools of the school district a one-page summation of the rights of each parent or guardian of a child with an individualized education program. Requires the State Board of Education to approve the content of the summation before distribution by the school board. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Office of the Comptroller for its FY18 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2017.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Defines "underground" and "undergrounding". Provides that public utilities shall underground specified electric transmission lines under certain conditions. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall allow a public utility to recover from all retail customers in its service territory all reasonable and prudent costs that it incurs related to the undergrounding of such transmission lines. Provides that a public utility shall record and defer such costs as a regulatory asset to be included in the public utility's total rate base and amortized over a reasonable period that is equal to the expected life of such transmission line. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Chicago school district.

Amends the School Code. With respect to the requirement that all contracts for the purchase of supplies and materials or work involving an expenditure in excess of $25,000 or a lower amount as required by school board policy be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, exempts contracts for goods or services procured through a cooperative organized in any state in the United States of America or the District of Columbia that awards contracts by a competitive process and whose membership is limited to governmental agencies. Effective immediately.