Urges support for the Family Roots Genealogy Pilot Program as it provides African American descendants of enslaved individuals the opportunity to trace their roots back to their ancestral homelands, to reconnect with their ancestral heritage, and to promote their well-being.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a forest preserve district from prohibiting persons from carrying a firearm into any botanic garden, campground, aquatic center, grounds of an aquatic center, boat launch, boating center, athletic venue, picnic grove, nature center, grounds of a nature center, pavilion, grounds of a pavilion, golf course, parking lot, driving range, adventure course, grounds of an adventure course, zipline building, grounds of a zipline, equestrian center, grounds of an equestrian center, exercise venue, grounds of an exercise venue, any Illinois nature preserve, land and water reserve, or any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit. Defines "grounds".
Amends the School Code. Provides that every public school shall provide instruction, study, and discussion of current problems and needs in the conservation of natural resources, including climate change. Provides that the content of the climate change curriculum must be supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods and published in peer-reviewed journals or comprised of information recognized as accurate and objective. Provides that the State Board of Education may devise or approve the climate change education curriculum.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that voter preregistration may be completed on a paper application provided by the State Board of Elections. Provides that, if an election authority receives a paper application for preregistration, it shall promptly forward the application to the State Board of Elections for processing.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In a provision concerning coverage for mammograms, provides that if a woman's physician has ordered the patient to receive breast tomosynthesis because it has been determined that high breast density will make low-dose mammography inaccurate or ineffective, the insurer shall not require the physician to order an additional low-dose mammography as a precondition to breast tomosynthesis, nor shall an insurer require the patient to receive a low-dose mammography as a precondition to breast tomosynthesis. Provides that if the results of a woman's first 2-dimensional mammogram screening determine that the patient has high breast density, coverage of breast tomosynthesis shall be provided at no cost to the insured, regardless of whether the breast tomosynthesis and 2-dimensional mammogram occurs within the same calendar year, coverage year, or 365-day period.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a credit in an amount equal to 20% of the qualified conversion expenditures incurred by a taxpayer for a qualified converted building. Effective immediately.
Amends the Sports Wagering Act. Provides that, if a public entity that owns a sports facility does not apply for a master sports wagering license, a professional sports team that (i) plays the majority of its home contests at the sports facility and (ii) has received written authorization from the public entity may apply to the Illinois Gaming Board for a master sports wagering license in place of the public entity and shall be deemed to be a sports facility for the purposes of the Act. Requires a professional sports team granted a license under the provisions to operate through a designee. Sets the initial license fee for a master sports wagering license for a professional sports team at $1,000,000, but adjusts the amount 12 months after the professional sports team licensee begins sportsbook operations based on 5% of its handle from the first 12 months of sportsbook operations. Provides that the master sports wagering license is valid for 4 years. Allows the Board to adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions.
Creates the Chicago Downtown Revitalization Task Force Act. Includes legislative findings. Creates the Chicago Downtown Revitalization Task Force. Includes provisions on Task Force membership, meetings, compensation, and administrative support. Requires the Task Force to (1) conduct an analysis of all taxes and economic incentives, monetary or otherwise, that impact downtown Chicago, including analyzing all taxes and incentives levied or administered directly by the State of Illinois as well as those authorized by State law but are implemented by units of local government, including the City of Chicago; (2) research and review trends impacting downtown Chicago, including, but not limited to, population growth, office occupancy rates, commercial office vacancy and valuation figures, retail sales, restaurant sales, hotel occupancy rates, and cultural event attendance; (3) examine national best practices in the area of post-pandemic revitalization of large urban centers and consider the applicability of such policies to downtown Chicago; (4) assess existing and potential industry clusters based on current and anticipated trends to consider policy solutions that may optimize the marketability and overall appeal of downtown Chicago to potential growth sectors; and (5) make recommendations regarding changes to existing policy or the implementation of new policies to enhance economic activity in and increase the overall vitality of downtown Chicago. Requires the Task Force to submit a report no later than 12 months after the effective date of the Act and periodically thereafter. Dissolves the Task Force 5 years after the effective date of the Act. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2031.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person shall not distribute, or enter into an agreement with another person to distribute, materially deceptive media if: (1) the person knows the media falsely represents a depicted individual; (2) the distribution occurs within 90 days before an election; (3) the person intends the distribution to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election and the distribution is reasonably likely to cause that result; and (4) the person intends the distribution to change the voting behavior of electors in an election by deceiving the electors into incorrectly believing that the depicted individual in fact engaged in the speech or conduct depicted, and the distribution is reasonably likely to cause that result. Sets forth exceptions to the provision and penalties for violations of the provision. Effective immediately.
Congratulates Deborah Lane on the occasion of her retirement from the Chicago Transit Authority.