Rep. Fred Crespo

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the operating procedures of the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board may provide for the inclusion of nonvoting, ex officio members on the Board. With respect to a for-profit or not-for-profit entity being recognized as an educator preparation institution, provides that any for-profit or not-for-profit entity with a presence in this State must also be approved by the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board (instead of providing that any for-profit or not-for-profit entity must also be approved by the Board of Higher Education).

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Removes language providing that the examination of an applicant for a driver's license or permit who is 75 years of age or older or, if the Secretary of State adopts rules to raise the age requirement for actual demonstrations, the examination of an applicant who has attained that increased age or is older shall include an actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor vehicle. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve training programs in autism-informed responses, procedures, and techniques, including specified examples of training program subjects. Requires the Board to conduct or approve the autism-informed training program no later than 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires all permanent and part-time law enforcement officers and permanent and part-time corrections officers to complete the autism-informed training program within 12 months after it was first offered or approved by the Board and every 24 months thereafter as part of the officer's in-service training. Provides that the Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Police, specifying training requirements for the programs.

Amends the Subsidized Housing Joint Occupancy Act. Provides that an elderly parent with an adult child with disabilities of the opposite sex shall not be required to occupy subsidized housing with only one bedroom. Provides that exceptions to the largest permissible unit size for subsidized housing shall be made when the elderly parent and adult child with disabilities of the opposite sex otherwise meet all other eligibility requirements.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that battery storage sites at which 5,000 kilograms or more of used batteries are stored must register with the Environmental Protection Agency prior to February 2026 or prior to commencing operation if not in operation in February 2026 and maintain records related to the weight or volume of batteries stored. Provides requirements for registration. Provides that the Agency shall propose and the Pollution Control Board shall adopt rules for the operation of battery storage sites no later than 1 year after the effective date of this amendatory Act, and provides requirements for those rules. Defines terms.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person who is convicted of obscene depiction of a purported child is ineligible to receive a school bus driver permit. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that "child pornography" includes the depiction of a part of an actual child under 18 who by manipulation, creation, or modification, appears to be engaged in sexual activity. Creates the offenses of obscene depiction of a purported child and non-consensual dissemination of sexually explicit digitized depictions. Defines offenses and provides criminal penalties for violations. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides for the forfeiture to the State: (1) of any profits or proceeds and any property the person has acquired or maintained in violation of those offenses; (2) any interest in, securities of, claim against, or property or contractual right of any kind affording a source of influence over any enterprise that the person has established, operated, controlled, or conducted in violation of those offenses; and (3) any computer that contains an obscene depiction of a purported child. Amends the Bill of Rights for Children. Provides that under certain conditions, the parent or legal guardian of a child who is the victim of obscene depiction of a purported child may make a victim's impact statement on the impact which the defendant's criminal conduct or the juvenile's delinquent conduct has had upon the child. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a period of probation, a term of periodic imprisonment, or conditional discharge shall not be imposed for specified violations of the offense of obscene depiction of a purported child. Provides for enhanced penalties for specified violations of obscene depiction of a purported child. Provides that the court shall impose a consecutive sentence when the defendant is convicted of specified violations of the offense of obscene depiction of a purported child. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act to provide that a person convicted of obscene depiction of a purported child must register as a sex offender.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In a provision requiring a long term care facility to permit the Office of State Long Term Care Ombudsman to examine and copy a resident's clinical and other records, includes access to facility incident reports. In the definition of "access", changes "express written consent" to "express consent".

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that a license under the Act shall be automatically granted to an individual who has graduated from an approved program of professional nursing education or an approved program of practical nursing education, as applicable to the license being granted; passed a criminal background check with the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation; and completed and passed an examination specific to State laws that regulate the nursing profession as an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or registered nurse. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to adopt rules.

Amends the Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act. Removes provisions about the State Police Asset Forfeiture Section. Amends the State Finance Act. Changes the name of the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund to the State Police Firearm Enforcement Fund (and makes conforming changes within the Act, the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, and the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act). Provides that the balance remaining in the State Police Training and Academy Fund shall be transferred to the State Police Law Enforcement Administration Fund, and dissolves the State Police Training and Academy Fund (amends the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Act and the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes). Makes changes concerning the uses of the State Police Law Enforcement Administration Fund. Amends the School Code. Includes provisions relating to reporting of verified incidents involving a firearm or drugs to the State Board of Education, the State Board of Education reporting data by school district on its website, and local law enforcement reporting specified data from the previous year to the Illinois State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Makes changes regarding applying for licensure and Fingerprinting. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 and the Drug Asset Forfeiture Procedure Act. In provisions concerning non-judicial forfeiture, provides that the director or the director's designee (instead of just the director) shall dispose of property forfeited in accordance with law. Amends the Arsonist Registration Act. Changes the short title of the Act to the Arsonist Registry Act. Eliminates registration of arsonists (makes conforming changes in the Criminal Identification Act, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the Code of Civil Procedure). Provides that the Illinois State Police shall establish and maintain a Statewide Arsonist Database for the purpose of identifying arsonists and making that information available to law enforcement and the general public. Contains requirements for operation of the Database. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that the term "special educational facilities and services" includes private special schools (instead of special schools) and separate public special education day schools. Provides that if a child has been placed in a separate public special education day school, a school district making tuition payments in excess of $4,500 shall be responsible for an amount in excess of $4,500 equal to 2 times the district's per capita tuition charge and shall be eligible for reimbursement from the State for the amount of such payments actually made in excess of 2 times the district's per capita tuition charge for students not receiving special education services. Requires a certification and finding to be made for reimbursement of a school district of the amount paid for tuition of a child attending a public special education facility.