Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act to restore protections for wetlands and small streams that were formerly protected from pollution and destruction by the Clean Water Act. Includes provisions concerning: exemptions; wetlands delineation, classification, notification, permits and veto; general permits; appeal of final decisions made by the Department of Natural Resources and judicial review; investigation and enforcement; and county authority. Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Advisory Committee and establishes duties and rules for the Committee. Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Fund. Provides for permit review fees. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Commends Deputy John Forlenza and Police K9 Dax for their honorable service and dedication to their community, the State as a whole, and the nation.
Amends the Illinois Public Demonstrations Law. Replaces all references to the principal law enforcement officer for the area with references to the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates. Provides that a person who blocks an exceptionally busy public right-of-way for any period of not less than 5 minutes in a manner that prevents, or would prevent, the free passage of a peace officer, a firefighter, or an emergency medical services personnel responder, irrespective of the time of day or notice provided, commits a Class 4 felony. Provides that no act of notification to law enforcement is a defense to the Class 4 felony. Provides that no act or circumstance of scheduling or time is a defense to the Class 4 felony. Provides that if permission is requested from the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates under, it is the responsibility of the sheriff, not the requester, to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions as necessary. Preempts the concurrent exercise of home rule. Defines "exceptionally busy public right of way". Makes findings. Effective immediately.
Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act. Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Provides that the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to encourage and facilitate the employment of construction workforces located in underrepresented populations. Provides that applicants that are applying for a new utility-scale offshore wind project with the Illinois Power Agency shall file with the Department, as part of the applicant's application, an equity and inclusion plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the procurement of renewable energy credits, provides that in addition to the amount of renewable energy credits to be procured from wind projects, the Illinois Power Agency shall procure at least 700,000 renewable energy credits, delivered annually for at least 20 years, from one new utility-scale offshore wind project. In provisions concerning the development of a long-term renewable resources procurement plan, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, and to no more than 4.5% of that amount as of the billing month following the expected date that a new utility-scale offshore wind project commences commercial operations and is expected to begin delivering power to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid. Provides that the Agency shall conduct at least one new utility-scale offshore wind procurement within 360 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a school bus shall be an electric vehicle if: (1) it is newly purchased, leased, or contracted after January 1, 2028; (2) it provides transportation for enrolled students operating primarily within an equity investment eligible community or primarily serving students living in an equity investment eligible community after January 1, 2030; and (3) it provides transportation for enrolled students in the State after January 1, 2035. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a health plan shall limit the total amount that a covered person is required to pay for a covered prescription inhaler at an amount not to exceed $25 per 30-day supply and shall limit the total amount that a covered person is required to pay for all covered prescription inhalers at an amount not to exceed $50 in total per 30 days. Provides that coverage for prescription inhalers shall not be subject to any deductible. Provides that nothing in the provisions prevents a health plan from reducing a covered person's cost sharing to an amount less than the cap. Authorizes rulemaking and enforcement by the Department of Insurance. Effective January 1, 2025.
Amends the State Employee Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Includes persons employed on a full-time basis by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the positions of sign hanger and sign hanger foreman in the definition of "State highway maintenance worker". Provides that a person who is employed on a full-time basis by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the position of sign hanger or sign hanger foreman may elect to convert service credit earned to eligible creditable service under the alternative annuity formula by filing a written election with the Board and paying a specified amount to the System. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Effective immediately.
Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall provide any mental health treatment coverage without imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement for any police officer, firefighter, emergency medical services personnel, or veteran. Makes conforming changes in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Effective immediately.
Amends the Preventing Youth Vaping Act. Provides that any distributor, secondary distributor, or retailer who sells, offers for sale, or distributes electronic cigarettes shall (i) obtain certification by the manufacturer stating that the electronic cigarettes are not adulterated; (ii) not sell, offer for sale, or distribute any electronic cigarettes for which it has not obtained a certification; (iii) maintain, for at least 2 years, a copy of any certification provided to it by a manufacturer; and (iv) produce a copy of any certification provided by a manufacturer upon request by the Department of Revenue, the Attorney General, or any entity with enforcement authority under the Act. Provides that no manufacturer of electronic cigarettes shall provide any false or misleading statement in any certification.
Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.